


In my reflection, you reside.

by AlexGo



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: M/M, Soulmate AU, additional minor character relationships
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-04
Updated: 2020-12-09
Packaged: 2021-03-09 04:22:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 23
Words: 42,191
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27388639
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AlexGo/pseuds/AlexGo
Summary: After years of waiting, Keiji's soulmate is finally revealed. Keiji is determined to meet him, however, their first meeting does not live up to his rose-tinted idea of soulmates.
Relationships: Akaashi Keiji/Bokuto Koutarou, Haiba Lev/Yaku Morisuke, Iwaizumi Hajime/Oikawa Tooru, Kozume Kenma/Kuroo Tetsurou, Sawamura Daichi/Sugawara Koushi
Comments: 164
Kudos: 277
Collections: My favorite haikyuu fics





	1. Chapter 1

The topic of soulmates had never been one of interest in the Akaashi household; the blame for this could be attributed to the fact that his parents had practically never been home during his teenage years or the fact that their marriage had been one of circumstance rather than love. The blame could also rest on the fact that neither had ever met their soulmates and therefore had no strong attachment to the idea. There were a thousand other possibilities as to why his parents had never indulged his questions related to the topic but despite the unenthused attitudes and disengaged answers they threw at his questions, Akaashi Keiji had grown up to anticipate the arrival of his fated match. The idea of a single person crafted just for him, a person made to love him and be loved in return by him, the idea brought a dusted rose tinge across his otherwise stoic expression.

It was said that one's soulmate would reveal itself in the form of a reflection. Once both parties were ready to meet one another, one’s own reflection would cease to exist and in its place, that of one’s soulmate would reside. For as long as Keiji could remember, he had been sneaking glances at his reflection in car windows, store windows, and mirrors, anything that could reveal the identity of his soulmate. He had been ready to meet his soulmate at the tender age of sixteen, not fully grown and accustomed to the ideas of love but far from immature in the face of it. He remembered waking up each morning and dashing to the closest mirror only to be disappointed when his own reflection stared back. Thinking back to his antics brought a small smile to his lips but was short-lived as the reality of the situation had begun to set in; his soulmate had not wanted to meet him. 

Presently, Keiji was a twenty-year-old college student. The thoughts of soulmates had been buried deep at the back of his mind partly to distract him from the depressing revelation, however, most of the blame lay in his lack of time to retreat into made-up scenarios of romances and love affairs when he had assignments upon assignment piling up. Sighing, he redirected his focus onto the open laptop screen in front of him. His mind had been drifting more frequently to the idea of soulmates and he had begun to find it difficult to keep his thoughts on track. 

"You're sighing more than usual, Keiji. Is something bothering you?" Morisuke's voice appeared from nowhere causing a startled Keiji to whip around at breakneck speed. 

Yaku Morisuke had been Keiji's roommate for the past two years, in those two years he had gained the ability to distinguish between the various apathetic expressions which graced Keiji's features. People who didn't know him would say that Keiji looked indifferent, he seemed to have adopted the look as a default, but Morisuke could see the sadness swimming in his eyes. 

"Mori, you scared me. When did you get in?" Despite Keiji deliberately ignoring his question, Yaku gave a smile before plopping himself down on the sofa beside Keiji.

"A little while ago, I thought I'd stay a few days. I haven't seen you these past two weeks despite us being roommates, granted, I'm mostly to blame." Yaku grimaces, he hadn't been home in a while after finding his soulmate as the two of them were practically inseparable now and it had finally dawned on him just how little time he had actually spent with Keiji.

"It's okay, Mori. I understand, I want you to spend as much time with your soulmate as humanly possible. How is Lev by the way?" Keiji gave a gentle smile of reassurance.

At the mention of his soulmate, the older of the two began animatedly babbling on and on. How he was taller than the last time they had seen one another, how he is now contracted as a model, and how he incessantly poked fun at the other's short stature. As Yaku went on and on Keiji listened and watched, despite sounding annoyed, Yaku’s eyes lit up as he spoke. Keiji wondered if his eyes would look the same. Before they knew it hours had passed, the two men had been so busy catching up that they hadn't noticed the slowly setting sun.

"Woah, how did it get so late?" It was past 10 and both could do little to distract themselves from the pangs of hunger they felt. "Let's go to that ramen place a few streets down, I'm starving."

Yaku had suggested the idea but Keiji ended up alone, as he usually was most nights, after Lev had called begging Yaku to go back. As Keiji sat, ramen long abandoned in front of him, he watched as couples quietly dined together. Lovingly wiping at messy chins and cutting food into smaller pieces for one another. At this rate, Keiji was just torturing himself, but he couldn't help it. He wanted that. 

A waiter had approached his table to be cleared, and he began his walk back to his shared apartment after paying. He had pulled out his phone to shoot Yaku a text saying that he would be home the rest of the evening but was stopped dead in his tracks. It was dark out so Keiji could have imagined it, he wouldn't give himself too much hope. Jogging, he stood under a streetlamp that illuminated the sidewalk. Slowly, he looked at his phone again. This time, there was no denying it; the reflection which started back at Keiji was not his own. He didn't stay rooted for much longer, he took off in a sprint narrowly missing others who gave him incredulous looks while he threw apologies over his shoulder. 

He couldn’t remember the last time had run that fast, not since high school that was for sure. Fumbling for his keys, he made his way into his apartment immediately rushing towards the bathroom and for the light switch. In place of the slanted, dull green eyes he had become accustomed to sat a pair of glowing golden ones. They were bright and shone with the intensity of a thousand suns, thick, dark eyelashes curtained them each time they blinked. Thick, arched eyebrows frame the face in the reflection. Raising his hand, Keiji cupped his jaw. In his hands, his own jaw felt sharp and slender. He wanted nothing more than to hold the strong, rugged one the reflection showed him. The man's hair brought a soft chuckle to Keiji's lips, slicked up two-toned hair kind of matched the energy that the man's eyes showed. Keiji thought that he'd definitely be tired out when they'd eventually meet but it was a welcomed thought. Above all, Keiji all but melted at the large grin spread from ear to ear that the reflection sported. 

He didn't know how long he stood in the bathroom, all he knew was that he had to burn each and every detail of the stranger into his memory. Keiji seared every curve, dip, and contour of the face into his brain. He was afraid that if he looked away, even for just a second, the man would be gone and he'd be left staring at dull green eyes once more. He had to have been standing for hours because slowly his eyes began drifting shut while his head bobbed forward. Reluctantly, he pried himself away from the mirror and began making his way to his bedroom where he had sent Yaku a text before falling asleep peacefully, those golden eyes meeting him again somewhere in his dreams.


	2. Chapter 2

Keiji awoke to the sound of his phone's incessant vibrating, checking it he saw countless messages and calls from Yaku. As he was about to reply, his phone began ringing, Yaku's name flashing across the screen. He answered before pressing the phone to his ear but couldn't even utter a greeting before Yaku's shrill voice sounded.

"Are you out of your mind? Why did it take you so long to answer? I've called all morning. What do you mean you found your soulmate?" Keiji was definitely not a morning person and the storm of questions being hurled at him in his disoriented state certainly didn't help that fact. "Did you drink last night? Were you drunk or did you really meet someone? I'm on my way home, so we're going to talk about this."

As Keiji listened to Yaku rant, he registered two things; the first being that Yaku's temper still hadn't leveled out even after meeting his soulmate which Keiji had internally hoped for, and the second being that he saw his soulmate's reflection yesterday. That was all it took to get him flying out of bed, getting tangled in the sheets, and landing on the ground with a loud thud in the process.

"Keiji, what was that? Are you okay?" Yaku's voice called from the speaker of the phone. Keiji groaned while getting up, "I'm fine, I just really need to check something."

Yaku had continued to scold him, but Keiji was dead to the world at this point. All that mattered was that the reflection was still there, that the whole ordeal wasn't just a pity induced hallucination and that Keiji had in fact found his soulmate. Entering the bathroom, his eyes firmly shut, he stood before the mirror. Slowly, Keiji opened his eyes anticipating disappointment but hoping with all his might that the man's reflection would be staring back at him. Much to his relief, the same golden eyes from the night before stared back at him causing Keiji to let out a breath that he didn't know he'd been holding.

"He's still here, Mori. The reflection is still here." His voice was quiet and trembling as he stood, shoulders slumped in relief.

Before he registered what had happened, tears had begun falling down his cheeks. He didn't know what shocked him more, the fact that he was crying or the fact that the expression the reflection had worn changed from a grin to a frown, Keiji didn't like the way it looked.

"Mori, what does it mean when the reflection's expression changes?" Yaku's response came seconds later. "The reflection's expression and the real person's expression are linked. If the person is happy then the reflection will be, if the person is sad then the reflection will be too, and so on, why?"

Keiji muttered something Yaku wasn't able to properly hear before hurriedly saying goodbye and hanging up leaving a fuming Yaku on the other end. Keiji looked at the reflection whilst hurriedly swiping at tears. "I'm okay, they're happy tears. Look, I'm fine." A small smile danced on his lips and he watched as the reflection's creased eyebrows and downturned lips slowly relaxed. Warmth rose into Keiji's chest as his thoughts had been proven; his soulmate had been looking at him too. A laugh vibrated in Keiji's throat and his smile got bigger which triggered a toothy grin from the reflection.

Keiji stood in the bathroom until Yaku bounded into the apartment, he remained there even while Yaku had called for him and began tossing out curses. When Keiji failed to respond Yaku had stormed his way into the bathroom but all curses and chiding fell flat as he watched Keiji stare into a reflection which wasn't his own. Finally, Keiji met Yaku's gaze.

"You see him, right?" Yaku could only nod as he took in the scene before him. Stoic Keiji, emotionless Keiji, stood there smiling. It wasn't a large smile at all but because it was Keiji, it was a smile worth more than all the jewels and diamonds in the world.

"I was so worried that I'd wake up, and he'd be gone." Keiji continued to mumble before trailing off and shaking his head. "I'm sorry, Mori. I should have explained more thoroughly in the message I sent you, you must have been worried."

As quickly as Yaku had witnessed relaxed Keiji make an appearance, formal Keiji had appeared. Yaku sighed before beckoning Keiji out of the bathroom and towards the kitchen where he began preparing coffee for the two of them. Both Yaku and Keiji had questions surrounding Keiji's newfound soulmate which they discussed before both men got ready for their afternoon classes.

Keiji’s classes had been ones which he typically enjoyed, it was a time that he could freely express himself and do what he loved; write. Keiji had never been very good with verbal words but with pen in hand and a prompt thrown out by the professor, he was in his element. He could write for hours, turning the most mundane topics into thought-provoking and emotion-stirring moments captured for eternity in the lined pages of his notebook. This would be the case if Keiji hadn’t been so distracted, that is. Today, each prompt fell on deaf ears and his pen lay motionless in his idle hand.

“Keiji, are you okay? You haven’t written a word since you stepped in.” Keiji was met by the worried gaze of his professor and if he had paid more attention he would have noticed the sideways glances his classmates were shooting him.

While Keiji had been lost in his thoughts, he had unknowingly let a smile dance across his lips, those around him didn’t know whether to behold the sight in awe as the man wore one of the most elegant smiles making his delicate features look even more ethereal or be concerned that the world could possibly be ending since robotic Keiji was actually capable of emotions.

“Ah, today is just an off day.” It wasn’t though, he wanted to write pages after pages about his newfound soulmate except he had nothing to reference outside of a reflection.

He wanted to hear the man’s voice and feel his touch. Keiji wanted to run his hands through his strangely styled hair and feel the warmth of his cheeks as he held them. Keiji wanted to do all these things before cementing his soulmate as a preconceived idea, filled with character holes and clichés. He had wanted to meet his soulmate before he wrote about him and when they finally did meet, Keiji wanted to write a novel dedicated to the ringing of his soulmates laughter, the contours of his body, and the warmth he would undoubtedly bring into Keiji’s life.

For the remainder of class, Keiji willed his mind not to stray. He would answer when called upon but his open notebook remained devoid of any words. As class ended, Keiji collected his book and scattered pens before preparing to leave but was stopped when the professor had called out to him.

“Keiji, stick around a little longer. I have something that needs to be discussed.” Keiji groaned internally but externally gave a slight bow.

As his classmates filtered out, he heard some comments about how he was finally going to be reprimanded and how he got away with too much due to being favored by professors. As quickly as he had heard the insults, he had forgotten them. It wasn’t his fault that his classmates had lacked the drive to produce work worthy of praise and it wasn’t his fault that his professors had enjoyed his work. Keiji had been dealing with these sorts of people since his high school days, so their comments did little to bring down his mood.

"I noticed you were distracted today, is everything okay?" In response to his professor's question, Keiji let out a soft hum while bobbing his head, a small 'yes' passing his lips. The professor waited for an explanation that never came and eventually let out a sigh. "That wasn't why I called you, but I thought I'd ask." Keiji's eyebrows knitted together as his professor handed over a piece of paper.

Holding the paper in his hands, he skimmed the contents. The words "exchange program" caught his attention and he looked up at his professor, curiosity swimming in his eyes. His professor met his gaze with a grin, happy that one of his top students seemed interested in something that could potentially further his writing. "Professor, what is this?" Keiji gripped the paper slightly anticipating a response.

"It's an exchange program our university has recently adopted. Each department sends a single student from different majors within that department to a top rank university in order for them to acquire skills they wouldn't necessarily acquire in their present university." Keiji hung on to each word as his professor explained.

"The English and Literature Department has chosen you as the student to represent Literature majors, Keiji. If you accept, you'll be accompanying students from other departments at Tokyodaigaku." Keiji looked between his professor and the paper he had been clutching. He didn't know what to say, he was happy, to say the least. Tokyodaigaku was the best university in Tokyo and Keiji's first choice if he hadn't missed the admission period.

"Thank you for the opportunity; I won't let you down. I'll do my best." Keiji bent deeply into a bow, his words ringing throughout the room. His professor chuckled before clapping a hand on his shoulder. "I know, that's why we chose you. We know you'll make us all proud." The professor left Keiji to his thoughts in the classroom. There was barely a time when Keiji's thoughts were calmed, his mind ran a mile a minute and normally he'd be overwhelmed but right now, he was ecstatic. He couldn't wait to get home to tell Yaku the great news.

At that moment, Keiji's phone lit up with a notification from Yaku asking to meet at the canteen. Shooting back a quick "yes" he immediately followed it by saying he had to tell Yaku something.

Walking through the corridors, Keiji slipped easily through the bustling crowds. Entering the canteen, he scanned the seating area for his roommate. Finally, Keiji spotted the shorter man sitting at one of the window booths and made his way over. Yaku looked up and greeted Keiji with a smile while sliding onigiri his way which Keiji gleefully accepted before the two began discussing their classes.

"You said you had to tell me something, good news?" Being reminded of the exchange caused Keiji to light up and he vigorously began telling Yaku about the offer his professor had made. Yaku listened, pride radiating from him as his friend spoke with more energy than Yaku had ever witnessed from him.

"Well, it obviously seems like you're taking the offer. Hell, I'd force you if you were thinking otherwise. I'm so proud of you, Keiji." Yaku continued his praise only stopping once Keiji was fully embarrassed, his loud volume ensuring that the occupants of the surrounding tables had heard him too.

"I'm really excited but there's a downside, it's a live-in program. I won't be home for an entire semester." Yaku faltered for a split second before catching himself. He wasn't about to be the reason Keiji felt badly about taking this fantastic opportunity. "It's sad and I will miss you but I'm not letting you pass up on this chance. Go, your room will be waiting for you when you get back. In the meantime, I'll have Lev over to keep me company."

The two men spoke more about the exchange on their way home. Yaku wanted to throw a going-away party which Keiji firmly declined much to Yaku's dismay. Once they had reached the apartment, Yaku had excused himself to his room to complete and submit a paper and Keiji was left in silence. He made his way to the bathroom, wanting to look at the person he craved so desperately to meet. The man was still there, same toothy grin and glowing eyes. Keiji wondered if his cheeks ever hurt from smiling so much.

"Something great happened today, I really wanted to tell you about it." An airy laugh passed his lips; he wanted to talk to his actual soulmate, not a reflection.

"I'm going to find you but if I can't, I want you to find me." Determination settled itself in the pit of Keiji's stomach, he was going to make an effort to find this mystery man. The days where Keiji avoided social interactions were over, as of today, he was going to step out of his comfort zone.


	3. Chapter 3

That week was a bit of a blur; Keiji had been granted a pass to skip his lectures as preparation for the exchange and today he'd finally be meeting the rest of the students who were picked from the other departments. He knew that he had promised to venture out of his comfort zone but as he sat around the table of a crowded restaurant, bustling chatter and drunk shouts filling the air, he couldn't help but regret the decision. People were getting uncomfortably close for his liking and everyone around him seemed to already know one another, he felt like an outsider.

"Would you like a shot?" Keiji was drawn out of his thoughts by a gentle voice. Turning to his side he was met by a tender smile. The man had grey eyes which were only further emphasized by his dyed silver-grey hair. Keiji wasn't much of a drinker but he felt it would help to loosen him up a bit. He extended his glass with a grateful bow. "My name is Sugawara Koushi, but everyone calls me Suga." Keiji grabbed Suga's outstretched hand in greeting. "I'm Akaashi Keiji. Keiji is fine." Suga smiled and the two of them talked for a while over drinks. Keiji learned Suga was an education major and had a passion for children and he aimed to mold the minds of the next generation.

As they spoke, Keiji found himself feeling rather stupid for having refrained from attending these types of events. Sure, he still suffered from a killer headache from the noise which surrounded him but not everyone made him want to rip his ears off. Suga had introduced him to two other people; Oikawa Tooru, who was rather flamboyant but in a charming sort of way, and Kozume Kenma, who exchanged greetings before pulling out a portable game console. Oikawa had introduced himself as well as Kenma. Keiji had related to the quieter of the two the second he excused himself from all social interaction. Oikawa was a psychology major while Kozume majored in computer science. The four men talked for the rest of the night, Suga and Oikawa dominating the conversation, Keiji felt as though he belonged for the first time in a long time. 

Before any of them had realized, it was already past midnight and the restaurant had started quieting down, people had either called it a night or were passed out at their tables. After exchanging numbers, Keiji had excused himself but not before promising to meet up on the day of the exchange. He took a slow walk home allowing the brisk breeze to nip at his warm cheeks. He gained an odd sense of pride in having made some new friends, something he had very few of. Keiji thought that if tonight was an indication of how the rest of the exchange would be then he'd definitely look forward to it.

As the day of the exchange finally arrived, Keiji stood at the door of his apartment, bidding goodbye to his roommate who looked as though he was ready to burst into tears. 

"Look after him Lev; he acts tough but he probably won't survive without me." Keiji looked up at Yaku's boyfriend who worriedly glanced down at a teary Yaku before offering a determined nod. 

After being reminded to call for the seventh time by Yaku, Keiji made his way to campus where all the students would leave for Tokyodaigaku. The subway was empty today much to Keiji's joy, he allowed the train to take him to his destination, sinking into each bump and shake of the carriage. 

The university which had always been lively seemed to be brimming with excitement. Students gathered around, some of them chatting away at what they were to expect while others were saying goodbye to their friends. As soon as Keiji got closer to the bus which would be taking them, he heard his name being called. Suga stood with Oikawa and Kenma beckoning Keiji over who walked slowly before greeting them with a faint smile. 

"I'm so excited, I finally have an excuse to visit Daichi." Keiji had been zoned out for the majority of the conversation but had been brought back once he heard Suga gushing. 

"I know right, I haven't seen my Iwa-chan in months. He's always busy now. And you, I bet Kuroo will be happy to see you." Oikawa nudged Kenma who frowned, but his dusty pink checks were a dead giveaway that he was excited. 

"Oh, god. Sorry, Keiji, we didn't explain.” Suga had been the first to notice Keiji's perplexed look. “Our soulmates all go to Tokyodaigaku, that's how we all met." Keiji nodded and the other three continued talking about their relationships. 

Keiji had now lost count as to how many times he had felt lonely when the topic of soulmates arose but strangely with these three, he felt content. Maybe it was because he could consider them friends and therefore wanted them to be happy or maybe now that he at least knew he had a soulmate it gave him a bit more hope. The other three had asked Keiji what his soulmate was like to which Keiji had replied he hadn't met him yet. His answer was met with gasps and profuse apologies which he waved off. 

"You know what they look like though, right?" Oikawa's question was hesitant as if he was uneasy, worried about saying something wrong or offensive. Keiji gave a small smile thinking about the nameless man while nodding. "I do, he is extremely handsome." The tension quickly de-escalated after that comment, everyone understood the subtext of the situation; Keiji was very much comfortable with the talk of soulmates. 

Oikawa was quick to make a rebuttal towards Keiji's statement, declaring his Iwa-chan was the most handsome man alive which Keiji hadn't tried to dispute after hearing the groans from the other two. Before long the students had begun loading the bus with various luggage and staking claim to seats. Keiji ended up next to Kenma whose thumbs furiously swiped across the screen of his portable game throughout the ride while Oikawa and Suga took the two seats behind them. Keiji watched as the university he had been attending for the past two years gradually became smaller before disappearing from view completely. No-one would ever guess Keiji was actually sad about leaving, what with the indifferent look he always wore, but he truly hated leaving the place he had grown accustomed to. He hated change; Keiji was a man of order, he needed stability otherwise he felt as though he was frantically flailing about like a fish out of water.

The ride to Tokyodaigaku wasn’t a long one but Keiji desperately willed his eyes not to fall shut, the evidence of a long night of packing making itself known. The effects of a sleepless night proved to be stronger than his will power, and he was ultimately lulled to sleep by the sound of revving engines outside and clicking buttons beside him. When Keiji had woken up he found himself resting his head on a hoodie-clad shoulder, realising he had fallen asleep on Kenma, he began to apologize. His apologies were met with a shrug. 

“Don’t worry about it; we’re here.” Kenma’s voice was merely above a whisper but Keiji managed to hear him, the words took a moment to register, his mind still disorientated having just woken up.

Glancing out the window Keiji took in the large building before him. The red-bricked building stood tall, Keiji imagined that climbing the stairs each day during his stay would be a pain. “Wow, I haven’t been here for the longest time. This place looks bigger than the last time.” Oikawa was excitedly stretching over Keiji’s seat. “We’ll get settled and then we’ll meet up with the others. Keiji, I’ll introduce you to my Iwa-chan.” Just the excitement Oikawa displayed had already tired Keiji out but nonetheless, he gave a small smile while nodding.

As the students exited the bus, luggage in toe, the atmosphere was all but electrified and not just from their own students. Students of the university shot inquisitive glances at them while whispering amongst themselves. The environment seemed stiffer than at their own university somehow, probably because Tokyodaigaku was prestigious and well known for producing some of the most elite graduates. Their own students stuck out like a blemish on porcelain skin. Their students were lively and bright while the students of Tokyodaigaku carried themselves with poise and an aura of arrogance. Keiji hadn’t missed the sideways glances he had been receiving from some of the students, making him squirm. 

“Don’t worry about them; it’s always like this.” Suga had bumped his arm and motioned his head beckoning Keiji to follow. 

“Majority of them aren’t any fun anyway so you aren’t missing out.” Whilst Suga had tried to be inconspicuous while making comments, Oikawa all but announced his distaste, earning more than a few displeased looks aimed at the group of four. Keiji was quickly distracted from the various looks by one of the student advisors who had come to greet them. They were told to separate into pairs before being led to their dorm rooms. Keiji stuck by Kenma who walked as though he had been to the school multiple times which was likely the case. After getting their room keys, the four of them parted ways to their respective rooms but not before promising to meet up before tracking down their boyfriends. 

The rooms were spacious in comparison to what would usually pass as a dorm room, there wasn't any partitioning to distinguish each room so everything flowed into one another but there was a small kitchen area as well as a bathroom, much to Keiji’s delight as the idea of communal bathrooms made his stomach churn. Kenma instantly threw himself down on one of the beds and began playing some game while Keiji excused himself to the bathroom to take a shower. Keiji’s deflated mood immediately perked up once he faced the mirror in the bathroom. He hadn’t gotten a chance to himself most of the day and thus missed out on his daily routine of staring at his soulmate. Today, the reflection still held its signature smile although looking a bit forced, its bushy eyebrows were furrowed, and small beads of sweat dripped down its temple. Giving the reflection a final worried glance, Keiji stripped out of his clothes before drenching himself in scalding hot water, relishing in the slight sting it left against his cool skin. By the time he had finished, his usually milky skin had been tinged pink. Keiji exited the bathroom, a towel wrapped around his waist and another draped over his dripping hair. 

“We’re heading out to meet the others soon, get dressed.” He glanced up at Kenma’s words to see the quiet man had exchanged his sweats for a pair of dark jeans and an oversized button up. He also noticed that half of Kenma’s two-toned hair which was initially kept down had been pulled up into a ponytail, a few wisps framing his slender face. 

They were going out to meet his boyfriend; it's only natural that he would want to look good in front of that person. Keiji offered a slight smile at the sentiment before rummaging through his own luggage for something to wear. He had settled on a pair of grey pants paired with an oversized sweater pulled over a collared dress shirt. It wasn’t anything fancy but he tried looking presentable at all times, especially when meeting new people. The idea of meeting new people instantly sent a swarm of butterflies to Keiji’s stomach. Keiji had always been an anxious person, questions like, “what if they down like me?” and “what if I'm excluded?” popped into his head. Taking a deep breath, he tried taming his erratic heartbeat. 

By the time Keiji was ready, Kemna had already been standing at the door, game, and keys in hand. When Keiji had first met Kenma he regarded his reliance on his game console odd but now he felt it would be even weirder to see him without it. After locking up, the two of them made their way down the hall where Oikawa and Suga stood. “Oh, looks like someone is excited to see his boyfriend.” Oikawa’s comment earned a glare from Kenma and a light slap from Suga while Keiji let out a small chuckle. The four of them chatted casually as they walked. “So, where are we going?” Keiji asked as they made their way out of the dorms.

“I texted Iwa-chan, he said all the boys were at the gymnasium because someone twisted their ankle while attempting a cartwheel.” Oikawa drawled before sharing a knowing look with the other two at which Kenma rolled his eyes and Suga gave a short giggle. 

As the boys entered the gymnasium, they could hear angry shouts and pained yelps. Bulky bodies encircled a hunched figure; it wasn’t long before Oikawa dashed towards one of the men who had been grouped around the hunched person. The burly man with spiked hair who had initially been kneeling on the floor rose just in time to catch Oikawa as he hurled himself into a hug. As the man had gotten up, the figure which was hunched over on the floor came into view. The scene before Keiji knocked the air from his lungs and sent his mind into a drunken whirlwind. He wasn’t sure whether his reaction had come from those familiar golden eyes he had dreamt about over the past two weeks or the girl draped over his broad shoulders, pressing kisses to the cheek of the anguished man. As he gradually regained his breath, golden eyes glanced up before freezing. His eyes drank Keiji in before settling on Keiji’s shifting eyes. Confused, the man directed his gaze towards the source of his soulmate unease. Eyes widening, he rose to his feet, reaching towards Keiji. 

“Wait, it’s not, hold on.” The man voiced his thoughts in a rush, incomplete sentences thrown together incoherently. As he hoisted himself from the ground, Keiji stepped back. Spinning on his heel, Keiji was ready to bolt but was stopped when met with the worried gazes of the others. “I’m sorry guys, could I maybe meet everyone tomorrow?” He didn’t wait for a response and instead made his way through the awaiting gymnasium doors. As he exited, he heard his name echo as the boys he had come with called out to him.


	4. Chapter 4

He had barely been there an entire day but Keiji was already emotionally and physically exhausted. He hadn’t the slightest idea as to where he was going, he wanted nothing more than to get as far away as possible. As he walked, he spotted the university entrance gates, without thinking, he let his feet carry him. He wasn’t familiar with the area, however, he had remembered passing a park near the entrance as they had pulled up to the university earlier in the day. Keiji wound up on a bridge overlooking a shallow lake, the reflection of his soulmate in the water sending a pang to his chest. He hadn’t noticed his shaking legs had begun to cave until his back had made contact with the safety railing sending the sound of clanging metal into the still night air. Once on the ground, Keiji had noticed the continuous chiming of his phone. His friends had been flooding his phone with calls and messages. As Keiji stared at the screen, his thumbs swiped across the keypad entering the only number he had bothered to remember by heart. 

The phone rang; once, twice, before a click sounded and the familiar voice rang in Keiji’s ears. “Keiji, perfect timing. I swear to god, I’m going to kill Lev.” Yaku’s voice flowed through the speaker filling the silence. In the background, his boyfriend's whines could be heard. Keiji stayed silent as he listened to Yaku yell at Lev, finding comfort in the familiar voice. 

“Keiji?” Yaku’s voice questioned, confused as to why he hadn’t responded yet. “Yeah?” Keiji answered softly, grimacing at the way his voice cracked. He heard the sound of shuffling, and Yaku’s voice sounded again, in an aggressive manner this time. “I’ll kill them, whoever they are they’re dead.” Keiji knew Yaku’s cheeks were probably lurid red in color and his shoulders tensed while he cursed no-one in particular. 

“Yaku?” The little voice stopped Yaku’s ranting and he let out a faint hum in response. “Can we just stay like this for a little while?” A quiet sob slipped through Keiji's lips much to his and Yaku’s surprise. Yaku had never known the man to be openly emotional, and Keiji hadn’t even noticed the tears slip down his cheeks. Phone clutched tightly in his clenched fist, Yaku let out a tiny “okay” as he listened to the heart-wrenching sound that was Akaashi Keiji crying. He felt his own throat close up and eyes begin to sting before being pulled towards the chest of his boyfriend who placed gentle kisses to the top of his head. 

They stayed like that, Yaku speaking soothing words of encouragement while Keiji tried steadying his breathing. Once Keiji had calmed down, Yaku hesitantly prodded for answers. Keiji meekly recounted the events of the day earning even more angry shouts from Yaku. The two of them sat like that for hours, Yaku was hesitant to hang up, only doing so once Keiji had insisted he’d call if he needed him. It had been dusk when Keiji arrived at the park but now, it was impossible to see more than the silhouette of his hand in front of his face. Dusting himself off and straightening out his clothes, he heaved himself from his seated position on the ground. He wasn’t in a hurry to get back to the dorms, but he knew that the others were probably a little worried since he hadn’t come back, at least, that’s what he gathered from the hundreds of messages filling up his notifications. He sent each one of them a text, telling them not to worry and that he was on his way back. He hadn’t expected a response when his phone chimed. The text had been from Kenma and read, “He waited for you by the door, I’m not quite sure if he’s still there.” Keiji read and reread the text multiple times before pressing the power button to his phone and watching it go black.

Was it not enough to be publicly humiliated? Why did that guy still have to hang around? Honestly though, what did Keiji expect from a man who didn’t even want to meet him in the first place? For the hundredth time tonight, Keiji’s head was a whirlwind of thoughts. Maybe the man thought they’d never meet and just got curious as to who his soulmate could have been. Keiji had seen many people who thought like this. They’d open themselves up to the idea of soulmates only to see who they were fated to be with but had no intention of actually pursuing a relationship. It was basic human nature; curiosity ultimately got the better of them. He didn’t know why he thought that after so many years of waiting for his soulmate to actually want to know who he was, he’d be fated to be with someone actively seeking a relationship. Keiji laughed at his naivety and cursed the way his heart throbbed. At the minimum, now Keiji could at least put the thoughts of soulmates to rest. It was now that he regretted not inheriting his parent's dispassionate views on the subject because maybe then he wouldn’t feel like his heart had been ripped out. It was senseless to be this emotionally attached to someone he had never even met but the rational part of Keiji’s brain had ignored this fact and opted to mourn the loss of a relationship that hadn’t even come into bloom.

Once Keiji had reached the entrance of the university, his feet had automatically halted as if knowing what lay ahead would undoubtedly cause trouble. With an audible sigh, Keiji powered through his frazzled nerves and made his way to the dorms. True to Kenma’s word, in front of their door sat a hooded figure, knees pulled to their chest and face buried in them. Keiji reached out to touch the man who sat before his door but before he made contact, the man's head snapped up, red-rimmed golden eyes meeting Keiji's gaze. His cheeks were swollen and his nose was red, he’d been crying. Keiji didn't understand, why exactly had the man been upset? Was he feeling guilty? It wasn't the ideal way that Keiji had anticipated to meet his soulmate but what had been done was irreversible. Seeing the man in such a state made Keiji angry, what was there for him to be upset about anyway?

“Keiji.” His name had passed the lips of this man, and Keiji saw red. “What?” He all but sheathed through clenched teeth, hearing this man use his name so casually had tipped his resolve. “Please, let me explain-” The man was cut off as a sarcastic laugh bubbled from Keiji’s chest and out into the silent hallway.

“Not that. What did you just call me?” The man looked puzzled, his eyebrows furrowing as his golden eyes crinkled. “You have no right to call me that, I don’t know you.” At this point, Keiji was trembling, he wanted to say anything that would wound the other man as much as he was hurting. His words seemed to do the trick, he had never witnessed someone physically deflate. It was as if all the air had abandoned the man before him and only a hollow shell remained.

Keiji willed himself not to feel bad after the words had escaped his mouth, it had to be done. Putting up his iron fortress, Keiji gave the man one last look before turning back to the door. “Bokuto Koutarou.” Keiji stilled but didn’t turn around. “My name is Bokuto Koutarou but you can call me whatever you'd like. I want to know you." If Keiji had turned to face him, he would have noted the desperate look his soulmate wore.

"Goodnight, Bokuto-san." Despite being angry and hurt Keiji couldn't bring himself to hurt the man any further, he didn't have any obligation to Keiji nor had Keiji any actual claim over him. The lock clicked as Keiji let himself into the dorm, his eyes maintaining a heated gaze with the ground as he closed the door behind him. 

"He's a good guy, you know." An unfamiliar voice sounded throughout the dorm causing Keiji to turn around.

The man was tall, Keiji could tell even though he was sitting. His black mop of hair fell over one of his eyes and Keiji wondered if he was actually capable of seeing clearly. What surprised Keiji the most was not that there was a random man casually in their dorm but the fact that Kenma lay between his outstretched legs soundly asleep, it was probably the first time Keiji had seen him without his game. It didn't take Keiji long to assess that the man was his boyfriend.

"He didn't even want to come inside because he was afraid it would make you uncomfortable." The man spoke quietly so as not to wake Kenma but the firmness of his words was undeniable.

Keiji wasn't sure whether or not he was being chastised, the only thing he wanted to do was sleep. Bobbing his head, he threw himself onto his bed before turning his back to the man. Keiji heard him sigh before everything gradually lost focus. Everything but those eyes.


	5. Chapter 5

Living with Yaku, Keiji had grown accustomed to the various shouts and crashes that would undoubtedly wretch him from his peaceful sleep. What Keiji was not accustomed to was the sounds of harsh gunfire at five in the morning. Keiji had learned too late that this was probably the reason why the other two had not wanted to room with Kenma. 

"Where did your boyfriend go?" His voice was still hoarse from the night before, but Keiji ignored it as he looked to Kenma for a response. Momentarily pausing his game, Kenma turned to face Keiji. "Kuroo? He left last night; he had to take Bokuto back to their room." The sound of his soulmate's name unwillingly made Keiji's heart flutter, he frowned at the effect the man had on him.

Without another word, Keiji forced himself out of bed before making his way to the bathroom, intentionally avoiding the mirror as he did. Keiji hadn’t planned to be up for at least another two hours, he could feel the bags which hung under his eyes like weights. He was tired, there was no doubt about it. He saw everything in slow motion, his body and mind too sluggish to function properly and he didn’t need a reflection to know that his skin was probably a ghostly white. Upon nearly falling back asleep in the shower, Keiji promptly turned the water off and retreated back to the shared bedroom, Kenma hadn’t moved an inch.

“Have you had something to eat? I’m heading to the café; you want something?” His questions were met with a backhanded wave. With a curt nod, Keiji grabbed his bag and made his way to the door but halted as a tiny voice questioned, “Are you okay?” Keiji tensed, his knuckles which were wrapped around the doorknob turned white. “I’m fine.” He said nothing more before prying the door open and making his escape.

The halls were empty, there was a certain eeriness to his still surroundings but Keiji relished in the silence. His quiet footsteps tapped against the tiled floor as he made his way out of the dorms and towards the on-campus café. Unsurprisingly, the doors were still shut. Heaving out a sigh, Keiji dropped himself onto a nearby bench reaching for his notebook. In times of distress or confusion, Keiji threw himself into one of his various fictional worlds as an escape. He wrote, tore out and crumpled the paper, and rewrote. He did this on repeat, his storylines hadn’t made any sense, or he couldn’t think of any dialogue, or his words were predictable clichés he had parroted from somewhere he had read previously. Not only were his aggrieved feelings towards the unrequited soulmate situation affecting his sleep and his mood, but it had also now crept its way into his writing. 

With a frustrated groan, he threw his head back, turning his gaze to the sky which looked equally as gloomy as he felt. He had zoned out but was brought back to reality by the bickering of two people. The taller of the two looked about ready to murder his bubbly counterpart whose orange hair flopped across his forehead with each bounce he made. While watching them, Keiji had realized that they were café employees as they unlocked the initially shut doors and turned on the lights. He remained outside for another fifteen minutes, allowing the workers to ready themselves without the pressure of customers. Once he had decided to go inside he was met with the biggest grin he had ever witnessed anyone wear so early in the morning.

“Good morning, what can I get for you?” Keiji mentally noted that the shorter man was nothing less than the human equivalent of sunshine. He practically glowed as he bobbed back and forth from the balls of his feet to his heels. “Morning. May I please have an americano? No cream or sugar.” The cashier's face twisted a bit at Keiji’s order. “If you’re sure,” the cashier spoke with uncertainty as he tapped at the machine in front of him, “you can take a seat and I’ll bring it over once it's ready.” Keiji nodded before handing his money over and turning his back to the counter. 

The interior of the café was a bit snug but had a homely atmosphere; the air was filled with the various aromas of selected coffee grounds and baked goods. As Keiji settled into his seat he watched as the two workers continued to bicker as they had been doing outside. They fought over who would make Keiji's coffee, the taller of the two winning or so it seemed as he grabbed the mug from the shorter one's hands and ruffled his hair. Looking at them now, Keiji noticed the warmth in their gazes as they slyly glanced at one another and the subtle touches they would share under the guise of clumsily bumped elbows and hands. As Keiji watched them, he could tell that they were soulmates, or at the very least that they were dating.

Withdrawing his notebook from his bag for the second time today, he gave writing another shot. This time, however, he filled the pages with the repressed emotions he had been building up. He wrote; about what had happened the day prior, about how he was feeling after, and about his soulmates tear-stained face which had troubled his mind and rendered him sleepless. He bared his heart in the open pages of his notebook, the once barren pages now covered in his scrawled handwriting. He was interrupted by the clinking of ceramic, a coffee-filled mug being placed out in front of him.

"Here's your coffee." The cashier with the orange hair beamed down at a seated Keiji. With a small smile and a grateful nod, Keiji took the mug in his hands and brought it to his lips. Despite having delivered Keiji's order, the cashier remained standing beside the table earning himself a curious look from Keiji.

"My name's Hinata Shoyo, you can call me Shoyo if you want." Keiji stared at him, confusion evident on his face. "Akaashi Keiji, call me Keiji." He continued drinking his coffee, but the next words Shoyo had said caused him to pause mid-sip.

"Are you sad?" The question earned shouts of dissatisfaction from the black-haired cashier. Keiji again sat back and observed as the two of them argued, their arguing seemed to have no end.

"Ah, come on, Kags. He looked sad when he came in, and he looked even sadder when he was writing. I was just asking." As Shoyo pouted at the tall cashier, Keiji watched as the taller man's annoyance seemed to evaporate. "You can't ask people you just met questions like that, they may get uncomfortable."

Shoyo looked at Keiji expectantly as if asking him whether or not he was uncomfortable to which Keiji shook his head earning a toothy grin from Shoyo and a defeated sigh from the tall cashier. "So, why are you sad?" Shoyo had a determined glint in his eyes, and Keiji knew the topic was not going to be avoided but instead of answering, he shot back a question of his own. "Have you found your soulmate?" A fond smile drifted to Shoyo's lips as he nodded whilst letting out a hum. "Over there." He pointed to the tall cashier and Keiji's thoughts from earlier had been proven. 

"When did you meet him?" Keiji watched, over the rim of his mug, as Shoyo thought. "I met him for the first time in middle school; we didn't know we were soulmates back then, we only found out in our first year of high school." Keiji watched as Shoyo recalled his meeting with his soulmate, he let out a chuckle before continuing. "We had a really intense rivalry going when we first met." The comment earned a laugh from the tall cashier.

"Maybe you thought so, I just thought you were annoying." With a ruffle of his soulmate's hair, the tall cashier began wiping down tables. "Kageyama!" Shoyo whined, earning himself an eye roll. 

"What changed?" Shoyo directed his attention back to Keiji but his eyes flitted to Kageyama a second later. "We became partners. As long as he's there, I'm invincible." In his eyes, Keiji could see the weight those words carried. The way Shoyo had said them, as if a declaration to the love, trust, and respect he and Kageyama shared, reminded Keiji of why he had wanted a soulmate in the first place. This, this was the reason.

"Did you always want a soulmate?" Keiji found himself asking more questions, it was surprisingly easy to speak with Shoyo. He received a hum in response as Shoyo nodded his head. "If Kageyama hadn't wanted a soulmate, would you have given up?" A thoughtful look passed Shoyo's face before he shook his head and crossed his arms over his chest in a defiant manner.

"Why?" The smile which all but lived on Shoyo's face fell and in its place sat a bone-chilling look filled with utmost seriousness. "Do you need a reason to not want to lose? I wanted one, I wouldn't have given up without a fight." The air of seriousness fell as Kageyama swatted the back of Shoyo's head. "Don't talk about me like I'm a game and get back to work, we have customers." The two cashiers were like a hurricane. Devastating yet restoring. Like the violent winds of a hurricane, they had assaulted the already crumbling walls surrounding Keiji's heart and cemented the fact that Keiji was alone yet like the replenishing rain hurricanes brought, they showed him that the idea of soulmates was not just for hopeless romantics. Sometimes it just needed a bit of extra work, as did most relationships. 

Whining as he did so, Shoyo lifted himself from his seat. Giving Keiji a smile and a small wave, he followed after Kageyama before joining him back at the counter to help arriving customers. Keiji remained seated for a while longer, thinking over the conversation he had just had. There was no doubt that he wanted a soulmate but how was he able to win with the cards he'd been dealt? He didn't know, but he was going to try his damndest to find out. Stuffing his possessions back in his bag, he began his journey to his first class, determination bubbling in his chest. 

Before leaving he called out to Shoyo who looked at him expectantly. "I'm not sad anymore." With that said he exited the café, leaving a grinning Shoyo and a confused Kageyama behind.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was kind of an impulse chapter that I thought would help with the character development of other characters since I've only written in Keiji's POV up until now. The actual plot continues in the next chapter but yeah, I hope you guys still like it! :)

He was gorgeous, even more so in person than in the reflection. This had been the initial and only thought which had embedded itself into the only functioning portion of Koutarou’s mind as he first laid eyes on his soulmate. If anyone were to question him, he would swear time stood still the first time they had met but as quickly as it had, it had started right back up, his entire world caving in on itself as it did.

He could feel the panic radiating from the man before him, and he was reasonably sure he wore the exact same look. Wincing slightly at the pressure he felt in his ankle, he got to his feet. “Wait, it’s not, hold on.” He had started several sentences, none of them adequately conveying the scramble of thoughts that wreaked havoc on his mind. 

He had pushed Yukie off and had begun making his way over to his soulmate who stepped back. The action had paralyzed Koutarou, witnessing the man who was fated to be his back away had wounded his heart. He watched as the man’s retreating figure rushed through the doors without a second glance back. He didn’t know what to do, what to say, or how to react. He stared, this hadn’t been the way he had wanted to meet his soulmate. He thought he was prepared; he waited specifically until he had become the best version of himself before wanting to meet his soulmate. It had required years of effort; he wanted to be the best in everything he did, but he had wanted nothing more than to be the best for the person he would undoubtedly spend the rest of his life with. All his effort had been obliterated by this chance encounter. 

“Keiji!” Koutarou was broken out of his trance-like state as Suga and Oikawa called out to the man who had already moved out of sight. Keiji, his name was as elegant as he looked. Koutarou was met with the worried gazes of the three men who had accompanied his soulmate.

“What just happened?” Suga had been the first to speak up. He wore an anxious expression as he glanced between the open gymnasium doors and Koutarou. As if sensing Suga’s distress, Daichi had made his way over before engulfing his soulmate in his arms. Kuroo had also disappeared from Koutarou’s side in favor of being at Kenma’s.

“That was him, that was my soulmate. He came with you guys?” The realization that his soulmate had come with the other three men had finally set in. They had known his soulmate; they were friends.

“The most crucial question over here is, who are you?” Oikawa directed a pointed look at Yukie causing her to flinch. If Oikawa hadn’t called on her, Koutarou would have practically forgotten she was still there. “That’s Yukie, we went to high school together.” The three men looked at him incredulously, wondering how he thought that that mere statement could make sense of the situation he was in. 

“We’re friends, completely platonic, no feelings. If you know Koutarou then you know his moods. I was just trying to get him to shut up, that worked back in high school.” Her words were blunt, but she managed to replace the perplexed expressions worn by the three men into one of realization. Her words had also managed to worsen Koutarou’s already depressing mood. “You didn’t have to say it like that.” Koutarou pouted as Yukie spoke.

“Bro, I don’t think that’s what you should be worrying about,” Kuroo spoke up and it was right then that Koutarou cursed his virtually nonexistent attention span as he all but flew into a frenzied panic. “Shit, where did he go? I have to find him.” His response was met with harsh shouts from Iwaizumi who had been the one to bandage his sprained ankle.

“We’re sharing a room, maybe he went back.” All eyes had snapped to Kenma who pushed himself further into Kuroo’s side, uncomfortable with all the attention. In a split second, Koutarou had latched himself onto Kenma’s wrist and heaved him out of the gymnasium, much to the dissatisfaction of both Kuroo and Iwaizumi.

The little dorm room had significantly few hiding places and as Koutarou entered he could see at first glance that his soulmate had not gone back. That, however, hadn’t stopped him from doing a full sweep. The last place he had inspected was the bathroom and if he could go back in time to tell himself not to open that door, he would have done so in a heartbeat. His eyes bore into those in the mirror and Koutarou felt as all his blood rushed to his head, leaving a roaring in his ears. Those forest green eyes he had grown so fond of stared at him, red-rimmed and glossy. His soulmates once defined cheekbones were distorted and puffy and his usually rigid lips trembled. The sight sent a stabbing pain into his chest which had begun falling and rising rapidly in shock. 

He had done that; he was the reason his soulmate was in pain. Stumbling out of the bathroom, he noticed Kuroo and Kenma sitting on one of the beds. “Keiji isn’t responding to anyone,” Kenma spoke in his characteristic quiet tone but his bunched eyebrows had indicated his concern. “Let’s just stay here until he comes back, you can explain everything then.” Koutarou shook his head violently in response to Kuroo’s suggestion.

“He wouldn’t like that; I shouldn't have come in in the first place.” Koutarou’s usually bubbly persona and loud demeanor were reduced to whispers. He withdrew into himself, afraid to do or say anything in fear of causing another disaster. Without another word, he exited the room. He didn’t know Keiji; he had no idea where he could have been or if there was anyone he could possibly be with. All he could do was wait, wait, and hope that he would come back. Koutarou thought that Keiji most likely hated him now, regardless of the situation being a misunderstanding, Koutarou wouldn’t blame Keiji if he did. Hell, Koutarou hated himself at that moment, he had single-handedly managed to destroy all the progress he had built up over the years.

Koutarou felt as though he was back in high school, back to being the emotionally unstable sixteen-year-old who everyone detested. He had worked so hard, for himself, for others, for his soulmate. He never wanted his soulmate to think of him as burdensome, he wanted to be someone's anchor, not an iceberg in their path. He wasn't surprised when he felt warm tears run down his cheeks, Koutarou had always been emotional but it had been a while since he had cried. Suppressing the occasional sob, he lowered himself to the ground. Pulling his knees to his chest and that was how he stayed. 

An hour turned to two and two to three and Koutarou lost count as to how long he had waited. He would sleep there if need be, he wasn't going to his room before seeing his soulmate. He had nearly drifted to sleep when he heard shuffling overhead. He looked up at breakneck speed, his eyes searching for who had just arrived. His soulmate stood before him. "Keiji." Koutarou had breathed his soulmate's name into the silence which surrounded them. It rolled off his tongue as if it was meant to be there for the rest of eternity. He watched as Keiji paused. "What?" One word from his soulmate set his heart ablaze. His voice was silky and sultry, Koutarou reveled in the sound.

"Please, let me explain-" A laugh from his soulmate caused him to pause, he stared at the man with an equal mixture of confusion and awe. He was pretty when he laughed. "Not that. What did you just call me?" His soulmate gave him no time to respond, but Koutarou had a feeling he wasn't supposed to. "You have no right to call me that, I don't know you." His words were like shards of ice, each one piercing the remnants of Koutarou's already battered heart. 

His soulmate looked at him, his eyes were empty yet sharp, before turning towards the dorm room door. For the second time tonight, Koutarou watched as the man turned his back towards him. This time, however, he wouldn't surrender like the last. "Bokuto Koutarou." His words held enough force to still his soulmates movements. "My name is Bokuto Koutarou but you can call me whatever you'd like. I want to know you." It was all that he could think of at that moment. He couldn't find it within himself to demand the man stay; he knew they'd get nowhere that way. What he could do, in the meantime at least, was make his soulmate aware of whom he was and pray there would still be a chance for him to get closer.

"Goodnight, Bokuto-san." His name from the lips of his soulmate rendered him immobile. And for possibly the hundredth time tonight, Koutarou thought that his soulmate was beautiful without even having to try. Keiji hadn't looked back as he closed the door but that did little to tear down the minuscule semblance of a cheerful mood Koutarou was regaining.

It wasn't long before Kuroo exited the room, he looked at Koutarou with a mixture of concern and confusion to which he responded with his own dazed look. "Are you okay, Kou?" Kuroo grasped his shoulders, forcing Koutarou's gaze away from the shut door and towards his own questioning eyes. 

"He said my name." A dopey grin found its way to Koutarou's face as Kuroo rolled his eyes while ushering his best friend down the hall in the direction of their room. Kuroo huffed a sigh of relief as he listened to Koutarou muse over his newfound soulmate.


	7. Chapter 7

Keiji’s initial thoughts when he had arrived at the expansive university had been proven correct, the stairs were a laborious pain to climb. Panting slightly, he finally made it to the landing of the designated floor his class schedule had provided. The hallways were bustling with lively chatter regardless of the ungodly hour as he began his journey towards his class. 

“Keiji, wait a second.” The sound of his name being called caused him to spin around, his eyes darting about in search of the owner of the voice. It hadn’t taken him long to spot Oikawa jogging over from an adjacent classroom. “How could you completely disappear like that? We were worried sick, Suga barely slept last night until you messaged which was way too late, mind you.” Keiji could only stand there as Oikawa lectured him, the guilt of causing everyone so much trouble shackling him in place.

“Under no circumstances, are you allowed to do that again and if you do at least tell one of us where you are, we thought you’d been kidnapped or something.” Oikawa let out a huff as his tensed shoulders relaxed and his flushed cheeks regained their neutral color. “Anyway, are you okay? Last night wasn’t the best way you could have met Koutarou.” His shrill tone had quietened significantly as he looked earnestly at Keiji with sympathetic eyes.

Keiji had nodded thoughtfully as he ushered Oikawa out of the busy hallway and towards his classroom. “Don’t worry, I’m fine. I’m also sorry about last night, the way I reacted probably ruined the mood and you guys hadn’t seen your boyfriends in a while so I feel terrible.” It had only then occurred to him that in the midst of his disastrous meeting with his soulmate, he had also managed to ruin the night for everyone else.

Oikawa waved his hand in a dismissive manner. “Don’t worry about that; we’re focusing on you now. Are you going to meet with Koutarou again?” Oikawa looked at Keiji inquisitively, awaiting his answer with bated breath. Keiji bobbed his head slowly; he had already decided he was going to test fate by meeting up with his soulmate again but he wasn’t quite sure how to approach him. Keiji had exchanged more than a few harsh words with Koutarou; memories of the previous night had come back to Keiji like a gust of icy wind causing him to flinch. He worried his soulmate wouldn’t want to be with someone as prickly as himself, he worried that he had blown the situation out of proportion, and he worried that his soulmate may have thought that he dodged a bullet. These thoughts clawed at Keiji’s mind causing his palms to sweat and heartbeat to accelerate.

“I want to, but I’m not sure how to approach him.” Keiji kept his eyes downcast as he fiddled with his fingers, a habit he was meant to have left behind years ago. “I said some things last night, things that hurt his feelings.” Oikawa patted Keiji’s back reassuringly, a sincere smile gracing his lips. “The thing about Kou is; words don’t mean that much to him. What I’ve noticed over the last few years of knowing him is that he’s a man of action.” Keiji listened as Oikawa spoke but couldn’t shake the perplexed look he wore. Sighing, Oikawa stopped instantly and faced Keiji. “Forget about what you said, chances are he already has anyway. If you feel bad then show him, he’ll understand a hell of a lot better that way, trust me.” With that said, Keiji’s class had begun making their way inside the classroom. He allowed himself to be pulled by the mass of students as Oikawa disappeared into his own class with a wave.

The class was more limited than Keiji had anticipated, fifty students at most scattered themselves amongst the vast number of chairs. Keiji had opted for a window seat that overlooked the courtyard in the middle of the class. He was close enough to the front to focus his optimal attention on whatever would be discussed in the lecture but not so much as to draw attention to himself, however, his strategic plan to go unnoticed had no effect as he heard his name being called by the professor. “Keiji, it's good to have you with us. I’m Takeda Itettsu; I'm sure we'll get along well during your stay.” As the professor addressed him, Keiji tried but failed to avoid the stares of the other students he had noticed in his peripheral.

“I hope so too.” As Keiji’s calm tone resonated throughout the room, anyone who hadn’t noticed him before, had now. He wasn’t surprised, he was an unfamiliar face that had arrived in the middle of the school year. It would have been unusual if his classmates hadn’t shown a bit of intrigue, Keiji had especially grabbed the interest of many female students who had immediately begun fixing their hair and checking their makeup. “This course will focus on Japanese literature; I was surprised to see you’ve already taken a similar course, it’s actually the first time a lot of these students will be looking at these pieces.” After failing to meet the admission date to Tokyodaigaku, Keiji had spent the summer of his third year of high school enrolling in college-prep schools. He had known that he would be at a disadvantage when he saw that certain universities only offered a limited curriculum so he had made it his duty to ensure he got through all that he would have missed out on during that summer.

“Your paper highlighting the Chinese cultural influence on our literature was impeccable, it was well researched and beautifully written, it almost made me forget I was reading a student paper.” Keiji watched as his professor animatedly delved into a one-sided conversation discussing and commenting on certain points Keiji had made in a previous research essay but couldn’t actually remember. He merely sat there, praying for the floor to cave in beneath him. He wanted nothing more than to avoid the spotlight and here he was, sitting directly under one.

As if on cheque, murmurs spread through the room. Not all of them were snide and spiteful, much to Keiji's relief, but that didn't stop the unease which steadily crept up his stomach and into his throat. There were too many new faces, voices he didn't recognize, things he'd never seen until now. It was a lot to take in, and just as Keiji thought he would reach the peak of humiliation by having a full-blown panic attack on his first day, something familiar gripped his attention. 

It was morning and as a result, the reflection had been faint due to the light shining into the classroom through the window but it was there. Disappearing and reappearing in a comforting manner beside Keiji. Champagne colored eyes lulled Keiji's frayed nerves for the remainder of the class and he found himself thinking over what Oikawa had proclaimed to him earlier. Keiji could recognize how his soulmate wasn't great with words, he wasn't exceptional with them in a verbal sense either. The problem, however, was the fact that Keiji wasn't any better with actions. He was the reserved type; he had no clue how to approach a confrontational situation. 

The best he could do in the meantime was to meet up with his soulmate. It would be effortless to do so in a physical sense, what would be difficult would be to confront the man whom he had hurt head-on. Keiji was still undeniably angry about the situation and didn't feel all his words were completely unjustified, however, his stubbornness in believing he did the right thing didn't automatically cancel out the guilt he was feeling.

Regardless, Keiji's determination far surpassed both his guilt and stubbornness. Fishing his phone from his pocket, he texted Oikawa, letting him know he would be counting on him to set up another meeting. Keiji would seize this excellent opportunity not only to show his soulmate that there could be a likely possibility of them working but also to make it up to the others.

For the rest of the class, Keiji wrecked his brain thinking over possible things to say once he met his soulmate again. He undoubtedly wanted to know who the girl was, regardless of whether or not the ultimate answer would hurt. He wanted to know his soulmate's position in them being fated to be together and how he genuinely felt about it. Most importantly though, he would be sure to apologize; he couldn't forget. If he showed he was sincere and remorseful, which he truly was, then maybe his soulmate wouldn't be inclined to think badly of him. The thought of him doing so had made Keiji nauseous. He had been the first to stand once the lecture had been over, making a beeline for the door in search of fresh air.

As he made his escape, he met an obstacle or rather a considerable mass thereof. Various students had approached him, generous offers of drinks and lunch flew towards him haphazardly. He was new and understood that it would be considered ill-mannered of him to decline since this had been the first time the students of Tokyodaigaku, who considered themselves close to royalty, had acted in a welcoming manner but Keiji just wanted to go back to his dorm to catch a few hours of sleep before his afternoon classes.

As Keiji was about to politely decline the offers, he felt an arm drape itself over his shoulders. "Sorry ladies, I've already claimed the new guy for today." Keiji tried matching the voice to a face but drew a blank naturally causing him to look over to his right. He was met with a pair of unfamiliar honey brown eyes, sandy hair, and a laid back smirk. "Ah, Konoha-san. That's unreasonable, we asked first." Keiji could hear the dissatisfaction of the other students as the lanky nameless man nudged him out of the classroom without a backward glance.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've written this chapter so many times and still hate it. :( It's even supposed to be important, fml.

It wasn’t as if he was upset, he had gotten out of an uncomfortable situation courtesy of the stranger which he was grateful for, however, he didn’t particularly take kindly to the man who all but dragged him around so casually. Clearing his throat, Keiji tried to slip out of the arm which had remained wrapped tightly across his shoulders but to no avail. The man paid no mind as Keiji struggled against his grip, he kept his eyes tracked firmly in front of him. As Keiji was about to protest against being pulled around, the man spoke up excitedly. 

“So, you’re Koutarou’s soulmate. You sure are pretty.” His face showcased a smile, but Keiji swore he could feel the resentment dripping from each word as he spoke. “I’m Konoha Akinori, you can call me Akinori. Kou and I went to high school together.” He spoke casually, regardless of having just met Keiji. Typically, Keiji would be content with people having such a carefree attitude, most of the people he knew had similar personalities after all but Keiji had begun feeling uneasy around this man.

“How did you know?” Keiji was hesitant but his calm tone hadn’t betrayed him, an outsider would look upon the conversation they had been having and guess he was bored. Konoha hummed in response to Keiji’s question, his fingers slowly tightening and loosening their grip on Keiji’s shoulder as he did. The action made Keiji’s skin crawl but he was still unable to shake free. “I recognized you from the gym yesterday and today in class, the reflection in the window was a dead giveaway. So, the bastard finally found his soulmate, huh?” The second part had been grumbled in a low voice, lips barely moving, as if it weren’t meant to be said out loud. That had been the tipping of the scale for Keiji, gripping the man's hand firmly he withdrew himself from his hold. 

“Is there something you need?” He felt strange, dirty almost, after being held by this man. Konoha simply flashed a smile; the air around him seemed to have transformed into something sinister. He shook his head whilst lifting up his hands in surrender. “Not at all, I just wanted to introduce myself. Kou is a dear friend after all.” His words were thinly veiled with sarcasm, just enough so as to go undetected. Keiji watched as the man's attention was suddenly captured by something behind him and as he was about to turn around Konoha leaned down towards his ear. 

“I’ll see you in class tomorrow, Keiji.” His breath fanned the side of Keiji’s cheek causing the hair in the nape of his neck to stand on end and goosebumps to trail up his arms. There were extremely few instances in which Keiji had felt physically repulsed, today's encounter had catapulted itself to the top of his list. As the man drew back he offered a satisfied grin, however, it hadn’t been directed at Keiji but rather past him. He had said nothing more before spinning on his heel and heading in the opposite direction leaving a disgusted Keiji standing in the middle of the quad. 

Opting to disregard the encounter as a sleep-deprived hallucination, Keiji pleaded with his mind to abandon thoughts of the borderline sociopathic man he had had the misfortune of meeting. However, regardless of how hard he tried, he couldn’t manage to calm down. It was as if his body had thrown itself into fight or flight mode; Keiji’s heart hammered against his chest in a way that was undoubtedly unhealthy. This didn’t feel like any panic attack he had ever had, it lacked the general feeling of anxiety and instead flooded his entire body with fear. Keiji was confused, there was no way that that person could cause whatever it was that he was experiencing. He couldn’t comprehend what was happening to him, all he knew was he didn’t want to be out in the open anymore. With that thought in mind, he forced his trembling legs until they reached the dormitories. 

He scrambled for his keys, opening the door and shutting it firmly with enough force to shake the entire room. He steadied his breathing, two short breaths in and one long exhale, he continued this exercise until his heartbeat had eventually slowed and his breathing had evened. The fatigue he had endured since that morning had been long gone, adrenaline sitting comfortably in its place. Looking around the room, Keiji had noticed the unusual silence. The various sounds of Kenma’s games that typically occupied the room were missing and so was Kenma himself. If it were any other day, the silence would be welcomed. But today, the unease which overtook him had Keiji frantically searching for something that would bring him comfort. With that thought presently at the forefront of his mind, he hadn’t wasted a second picking up his ringing phone which displayed Oikawa’s illuminating name.

“Keiji, is your class out already? You’re not here or did you run away again?” Oikawa’s teasing tone sounded from the speaker and Keiji could vividly picture the pout he was most definitely wearing. “Very funny.” Keiji drawled as he rolled his eyes. He listened as Oikawa laughed obviously pleased with his joke, or rather, attempt thereat. “Anyway, I checked with the others, they’ve got classes until five but we can meet for dinner if you’re up to it.” Keiji thought back to his timetable; he had two more classes today but they would both finish well before five meaning he’d have a free schedule. 

“That’s fine, my schedule is quite empty today.” They had agreed to meet at the dorms again before making their way to a restaurant Keiji wasn’t familiar with. Oikawa stayed on the phone a while longer before hanging up as his next class started. Once again, silence enveloped Keiji. His next class would only be starting in the afternoon, at one to be precise; he had taken this opportunity to reflect on his writing from earlier.

"Soulmates; an idea done up in lustrous satins and frivolous white lace used to distract from the prison-like reality of fate." 

Keiji frowned as he read the first line, it sounded like something his parents would spew whenever he sought out answers to his abundance of questions. As he continued reading, he began his editing process. Cutting redundancies, adjusting his grammar, and replacing banal words. In reading, he realized a few things. Firstly, he hadn't told his parents about his soulmate yet though he doubted that they'd care. Secondly, maybe he had been affected by their pessimistic views. And lastly, he was finally able to write about his soulmate as unfiltered as he'd like. Only one of the three revelations made his heart skip a beat. 

Keiji hadn’t wanted to write about the man before meeting him. The unsavory conversation the two of them had shared did not constitute an actual meeting in the broader sense of the word; he was aware of this. However, with regards to actually coming face to face with the man, the limited words they had exchanged would suffice as a meeting in Keiji’s eyes. For the time being at the very least. With that thought in mind, he set his page ablaze. Furiously cementing the image of his soulmate into the notebook. What started as mere paragraphs turned into pages dedicated not only to ochre-colored eyes but plump pale lips and a luminescent smile. Broad shoulders and toned arms followed; the image of a tautly pulled shirt proclaiming itself in the way Keiji described each flexing muscle. The low vibrations of the man's deep voice could be felt through each word Keiji wrote. Despite the intricacy in which he wrote, Keiji felt as though he could never do his soulmate justice. He spent hours breathing life into the words which he felt best described his fated match but they were lacking; even if Keiji were to know the man for years to come he still wouldn’t be able to capture him completely.

As writers did, Keiji lost track of time while engrossed in his own thoughts. He was startled to see that hours had gone by, the sole evidence indicating such being the now filled notebook. Sighing, Keiji wretched himself from his solace only to be plunged into the mundanity which was his day to day life. He had classes to attend. The rest of Keiji’s day had gone off without a hitch; his remaining classes had been a poetry class which he and the majority of other students slept through and a historical literature class. Keiji had found neither of the two classes particularly challenging and silently thanked whichever deity had blessed him with the significant decrease in workload he presently had.

When Keiji made his way back to the dorms for the second time that day he was greeted by Kenma who lifted his head slightly in greeting before looking back towards his handheld game. “I thought you’d only be done at five,” Keiji recalled his conversation with Oikawa as he glanced at his phone which displayed the current time as three-thirty. Without looking up, Kenma mumbled, “last class was canceled.” As Keiji hummed there was a knock at their door causing both him and Kenma to look up in confusion. Upon opening the door Keiji was met by the beaming smiles of Oikawa and Suga.

“Guess who skipped class to hang out with you guys? Kenma said his class was canceled, and you said you ended early so here we are.” Oikawa all but announced as he walked through the narrow doorway and past Keiji causing Suga to sigh. “My professor let our class out early, I wanted to check on you.” Suga shifted slightly in the doorway until Keiji beckoned for him to come inside.

“I’m fine, honestly.” Suga huffed a relieved sign and Keiji watched as the worry melted away from his face to reveal his tender smile. The four men sat around talking about their days. “How was your day, Keiji? You didn’t have many classes so it was probably boring, right?” Oikawa looked down from his stretched-out position across Keiji’s bed to Keiji who was seated on the floor.

Keiji concealed the shudder which ran down his spine while thinking about the events of his day before flashing a tiny smile he hoped hadn't looked too forced. "Extremely." They continued this way, chatting casually and laughing occasionally until Oikawa’s phone flashed with a reminder from his boyfriend to meet at five-thirty. With that, he frantically jumped up before pulling Suga out of the room behind him whilst calling out that they’d meet again in thirty minutes.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No one:  
> Me: Let's post two chapters in one day to distract from how badly one of them is written.

It felt like déjà vu; after Oikawa and Suga had departed, the remaining two men had readied themselves before making the journey down the hall. This time, however, Keiji felt nervous, already aware of what lay waiting for him. It was now or never but as Keiji felt his fingers tremble ever so slightly he wished for the latter. He was on edge but after seeing everyone's excited faces he forced those thoughts towards the back of his mind whilst trying to suppress the tremors that shook him. Suga had noticed Keiji attempting and failing to steady his jittering nerves causing him to lay a gentle hand to the others' shoulder. “Don’t be too scared, we’re all here.” He hadn’t spoken loud enough for the others to hear but as Keiji glanced over towards them, he was met with encouraging smiles.

It had been the first in a long while where Keiji could look upon the people who stood before him and confidently declare them as friends. They hadn’t known one another for a long time; their meeting had even been one of coincidence, but Keiji wholeheartedly considered these men to be his friends. He gave a slight nod before they set off to the restaurant. Dusk had already fallen upon the silent streets; under the illuminated sidewalk the four of them strolled while idly chatting, excitement inching into their quiet conversation with each step they took towards the approaching restaurant. 

Fluorescent lights streamed through the windows of the restaurant pouring onto the curb and strings of drunken shouts and laughter resonated through the otherwise serene air. Keiji allowed the others to enter first, trailing quietly behind them. It wasn’t difficult to find the table occupying the other men; it was by far the loudest, so much so as to earn scowls from disorderly drunks. 

“What if he’s like him, though? I saw them together.” Regardless of only speaking with him once, Keiji could pick his soulmate's voice out amongst the roaring of the other customers. Keiji had seen Koutarou before the other had noticed him, he took that opportunity to stare at the handsome man with no shame.

“Bo, the others wouldn’t stay around him if he was like that.” Keiji noticed the man from the night before, Kenma’s boyfriend, pat his soulmates back affectionately. The gesture made Keiji long to switch positions and occupy the space beside his soulmate instead. As they approached the table, every head swiveled in their direction. As everyone reunited with their significant other and took a seat, Keiji remained standing. He was awkwardly shuffling whilst unconsciously fiddling with his fingers, he looked like a scolded child. While the others flashed him curious looks, Keiji took a deep breath before facing the crowded table. “I’d like to apologize for the way I reacted yesterday, my intention wasn’t to ruin the mood of the night.” He couldn’t entirely meet the eyes of everyone who looked at him, a certain pair more so than others. He was embarrassed, he could feel his cheeks flush as he stood waiting for someone to speak up.

“You didn’t ruin anything, don’t worry about it. Sit down.” The man beside Suga had been the first to respond, he wore a welcoming smile as he shifted slightly to make room for Keiji who gratefully took a seat. He had introduced himself as Daichi Sawamura, he and Suga had been dating since high school and Keiji could tell their relationship had no shortage of love. Keiji felt as though he complimented Suga nicely, they were both laid back people with a fiery passion for what they loved. They spoke casually with one another and in doing so Keiji learned that Daichi was a law major on his way to graduating as a police officer. Keiji had also been introduced to Kenma and Oikawa’s boyfriends; he had drawn various similarities between the two relationships. Both couples had been childhood friends who had always known they’d be fated to be with one another but the similarity which brought a slight smile to Keiji’s lips had been the way they treated one another. Keiji had assumed Kenma wouldn’t be the type to show affection, this had been proven to be correct. Whilst watching Oikawa and Iwaizumi, he noticed that Iwaizumi was similar to Kenma in this regard. Keiji also noticed that Kuroo and Oikawa parallelled one another with the way they constantly sought out their boyfriends' attention. However, despite being what could be considered as opposites, each couple functioned with its own sort of charm; never pushing the other out of their comfort zone and respecting one another's limits. Keiji thought that having grown up together, they had had a lot of time to form that bond.

As the night progressed, Keiji continued to learn more about the men surrounding the table. Iwaizumi was a health science major focusing on physical medicine and rehabilitation. He had chosen that field of study after Oikawa had injured his knee back when they were kids, he wouldn’t admit to it but the blush which reached his ears as Oikawa teased him was indication enough. Kuroo had opted for the general business major after not knowing what he wanted to do and forcing Kenma to help him decide. Despite his unorthodox methods, he seemed content with the choice. Keiji gathered a lot about everyone besides the one man he so desperately wanted to speak to; the most interaction the two of them had had was the exchange of subtle glances while the other wasn’t looking. Koutarou, who had wanted to speak to Keiji all night but was unsure of whether that would anger him, had remained glued to Kuroo’s side. 

As the night drew to a close, Keiji knew he would have only one chance. The men had begun making their way out of the restaurant causing Keiji to slow his movements. Koutarou had gone to pay for their meals and consequently would be the last to exit the restaurant. Keiji had shared a look with the men he had come with who nodded wordlessly while forcing their boyfriends to leave. Kuroo had protested the most but ultimately gave in after noticing Keiji lingering at the entrance. When Koutarou had finally gotten outside, Keiji noticed his look of confusion before the two of them had locked eyes causing slight panic to wash over his features.

“Bokuto-san, may I speak with you?” Keiji’s voice trembled slightly, his anxiety getting the better of him but he didn’t think Koutarou had noticed. His soulmate's panicked expression melted into an excited grin as he furiously nodded his head. “I wanted to apologize; I hurt your feelings last night and said terrible things in anger.” Putting his pride aside, Keiji bowed his head towards the man before him. He was about to continue before he was interrupted by loud shouts of protest. 

“No, no, no. Keiji-” Koutarou paused, eyes widening. “I mean Akaashi; I meant Akaashi.” Keiji watched as the man became flustered, tripping over his words. Guilt crept into Keiji’s chest knowing that his harsh words from the night before had caused this. “It’s me who should apologize, I hurt you but I didn’t mean to. I never want to see you cry.” Koutarou’s words had sent a herd of butterflies through Keiji’s stomach; he averted his gaze in hopes that his soulmate hadn’t noticed his undoubtedly scarlet cheeks. “I wanted to explain last night; I guess, sometimes I don’t have the best control of my emotions.” Keiji watched as a small frown etched itself into his soulmate's face. 

“I’ve gotten better at controlling them but sometimes I have to rely on other people. Yukie, the girl from yesterday, we went to school together so she knows how I can get.” Keiji listened as Koutarou spoke, his heart had unwillingly squeezed as Koutarou spoke about the girl. Bitter jealousy slowly crept into the pit of his stomach knowing that the two of them had known each other for years. Steeling his expression, Keiji readied himself for rejection, but it never came. 

“She’s a really good friend and she's helped me through a lot but that's all. I'm sorry that I gave you the wrong impression." Keiji watched Koutarou as he spoke, hanging onto every word. He didn’t know it but this was probably the only time Koutarou felt as though anyone had ever listened to what he had to say. He was nervous, stumbling, and stuttering over words but Keiji hadn’t gotten impatient or annoyed with him. Instead, Keiji nodded as the man before him spoke and calmed him when his nerves had gotten the better of him. Koutarou had run circles around himself, explaining and re-explaining the misunderstanding, he wanted no doubt to be left behind in Keiji’s mind. By the time he had finished his rant, Keiji said all but one thing.

“I thought you wouldn’t want me.” His voice was distant as if speaking on a hazy memory he had recollected. He shook his head at the voiced thought before meeting his soulmate head-on. Keiji couldn’t be sure of the expression he wore at that moment, he had so many emotions raging within him. He hoped his composure hadn’t crumbled. Koutarou on the other hand seemed to have no problem showcasing the way he felt. Keiji watched an array of emotions flit across his soulmates' face; shock, sadness, relief. 

“That could never happen, you’re so beautiful.” Koutarou had blurted out the first thing which had entered his mind causing embarrassed tints of cherry-red to settle on the cheeks of both men. Silence fell upon them before being broken by Keiji’s quiet laugh.

“We sure made a mess of this.” Koutarou stared as Keiji covered his small smile with the back of his hand. He was engrossed in the way Keiji’s eyes seemed to sparkle under the lit street lamps and how his smile, regardless of being small, seemed to put all the stars in the night sky to shame. The hesitation he’d been feeling slipped away; boundless amounts of happiness shot through him, his signature grin finally making its way back onto his face.

“Could we maybe try this whole thing again?” Keiji looked at Koutarou who cleared his throat in an exaggerated manner. “My name is Bokuto Koutarou; I’d like nothing more than to be your soulmate. If you’ll have me, that is.” Keiji’s heart beat a mile a minute, the entire encounter had felt surreal to him. “Akaashi Keiji, I’d like that very much, Bokuto-san.” Both men wore smiles as they chuckled before making their way back to the dorms.

“Oh, I almost forgot. How’s your ankle?” Confusion had crossed Koutarou’s face before realization had. “It’s fine, Iwaizumi has me wearing this brace.” He lifted up his pant leg revealing a blue brace snuggly wrapped around his ankle. “You should have seen how cool I was though, my cartwheel made it all the way across the gym.” That’s how the two men spent the remainder of the night, side by side, talking about whatever came to mind. Keiji thought that he had definitely made the correct decision in not giving up and Koutarou was thankful Keiji was a lot warmer than he had led on. And even though neither man was remarkably good with words, they felt as though a lot had been said.


	10. Chapter 10

It had been a week since the restaurant. In that week, Koutarou was determined to spend every waking moment by Keiji’s side. The two of them had become virtually inseparable; normally, Keiji would be frustrated by someone who constantly clung to him but with Koutarou, he felt dependable. Koutarou hadn’t lied when he claimed to have practically non-existent control of his emotions. Keiji had witnessed first-hand on several occasions how the man would become dejected over the tiniest inconveniences. At first, it had confused Keiji. The closest thing he could compare Koutarou’s ever-changing emotions to was a high-speed car enthusiastically weaving seamlessly through traffic before swerving off the road. His mood swings were unpredictable and sometimes, fatal. 

Despite this, Keiji didn’t mind them in the slightest. To him, Koutarou’s mood swings were evidence that he cared. They somewhat comforted Keiji; it showed him Koutarou was trying, not only for him but in everything he did. While others viewed Koutarou’s mood swings as troublesome, Keiji looked upon them with an odd sense of admiration. Whilst Keiji had always been skeptical of showcasing his emotions, not in fear of them but for a lack of knowing how, Koutarou had no problems. Keiji had always been a slave to his inferiority complex, whether or not he’d admit it was immaterial, he had been shackled for the majority of his life. Koutarou, on the other hand, despite sharing many of the same insecurities Keiji experienced, all but spat in the face of them. His dejected moods were easy to spot and even easier to turn around, a few compliments here and there and he was overflowing with this intense passion Keiji had never witnessed before.

As Keiji sat on the bleachers of the gymnasium watching his soulmate spike countless balls over the outstretched net, he could feel that passion. He had thought Koutarou was handsome from the very beginning but as he watched the man before him give his best and not an ounce less, Keiji acknowledged a different type of attraction he possessed. He was capable of commanding the attention of anyone; he shone radiantly and with no hesitation. Without trying in the slightest, Koutarou had everyone transfixed on himself and he didn’t even know it. 

Keiji watched as Koutarou hit one last ball over the net before making his way to his duffel bag where he was immediately swarmed. Keiji couldn’t make out what the people were saying. They were definitely students so there wasn’t much of a mystery as to what was most likely happening. It wasn’t surprising to Keiji that Koutarou was popular. What had surprised him, however, was the shamelessness of some students who had miraculously gone blind and deaf to his presence. He had had to endure flirting, touching, and invitations to meals and various other activities. Naturally, Koutarou had turned down all advances. He had turned them down but never in a way that completely stopped them from trying which brought a frown to Keiji’s face as he thought back.

“Hey, Keiji. I didn’t see you in class today.” Tearing his gaze away from Koutarou, he turned in the direction of the voice only to instantly regret it. Konoha leaned against the side of the bleachers looking up towards him. Keiji could feel his heartbeat steadily increase as the man approached before dropping down in the seat beside him. “If I didn’t know any better, I’d think you were avoiding me.” Konoha sang teasingly but the pulsating nerve in his clenched jaw exuded rage. Keiji wrung his moist hands while visible beads of sweat appeared on his temple, he was nervous. His throat had gone dry, and his tongue lay limply, unable to form words in fear of his voice wavering. Konoha stared at Keiji who returned an unfaltering gaze. Eventually, he let out a sigh of mock disappointment before rising.

“You know, you should have more respect for your upperclassmen. We can make university life very difficult.” There was no doubt in Keiji’s mind that Konoha had meant that as a threat. Keiji had in fact been avoiding Konoha; he had been going into class later and later each day and had consequently always been seated at the very back. When lectures ended, he’d also be the first to leave. As Keiji watched the retreating back of the man he could only, and with good reason to, assume he was unhinged in some way or another. Keiji had let out a deep breath he wasn’t aware he had been holding just as Koutarou approached the bleachers.

“You’re friends with Konoha?” Koutarou hadn’t been looking at Keiji, instead, his eyes had trailed off in the direction Konoha had left in. Keiji didn’t think he'd ever see the day; Koutarou had been nothing but bubbly since they’d met, but as Keiji watched Koutarou he was assaulted by hostility. His amber eyes ablaze, hellfire personified. His body was rigid and his fists clenched tightly enough to showcase his protruding veins which no doubt coursed fury throughout his body. The look he sent Keiji triggered an unintentional flinch causing him to falter, his eyes slowly regaining their kindness.

“He’s in my Japanese Literature class.” That was the extent of their relationship as far as Keiji was concerned, he wouldn’t even go as far as to call them acquaintances. Keiji rose from his seated position before making his way down the bleachers to stand at Koutarou’s side. He looked up at his soulmate who was an inch or so taller than himself waiting for him to expand on the tension which undeniably filtered through the air. Koutarou had met Keiji’s gaze, his tense shoulders going slack and his balled fists unclenching. “He isn’t someone you should be around. Stay away from him, Akaashi.” Keiji nodded silently, it wasn’t as though he had planned on befriending the man anyway. Koutarou wore a smile that hadn’t completely reached his eyes as he threw an arm over Keiji’s shoulders and led him out of the gym.

The surrounding mood was already stifling, the last thing Koutarou needed was for this to trigger another one of his episodes. He babbled on and one about this and that, anything to keep the air around him from feeling any more suffocating than it already was. He truly was trying, however, he had unconsciously set his face in a prominent frown. As Keiji watched his soulmate scowl, he couldn’t help but reach out to massage the wrinkle between his bushy eyebrows. The action had shocked both men but neither pulled away. Koutarou sank deeper into Keiji’s hand, eventually burrowing his entire face into the other's palm. As Keiji cupped Koutarou’s cheek he silently begged with any angel, deity, or divine being to curb his nervousness which always announced itself through his moist palms.

It had been a trope that had been used all too often and had lost its punch but Keiji swore that the world had stood still around them. It felt as though the two men were in a bubble of their own unaffected by time and space. Seconds could have been mistaken for years but the two of them would never feel as though it was enough. Their encapsulated space was soon broken by Koutarou’s tiny voice. 

“I’m sorry, you must think I’m a burden, huh?” He hadn’t moved his face but his eyes which had once been closed now locked in on Keiji. Koutarou had never had trouble with eye contact, something Keiji struggled with. The dulling of his soulmates once golden eyes troubled Keiji. “Not at all, Bokuto-san. So long as it's you, I don’t mind.”

Koutarou didn’t know why only Keiji had the ability to make him feel better but he wasn’t complaining. It was times like these, where Keiji always extended a helping hand, that made Koutarou feel a strange mixture of sadness and anger. For as long as he could remember, there’d been people telling him that his feelings were his downfall. People saying he’d never find someone willing to be with him if he continued acting as though he was a child. Every time Keiji willingly offered help with no complaint or patronization Koutarou beat himself up for falling prey to the words of those people and believing everything they'd said. He was aware Keiji was the furthest thing from an open person but regardless of his reserved nature he never shied away; he took on a responsibility he didn’t have to. 

“I’m so lucky you’re mine.” The statement had left Koutarou’s lips as an airy whisper before a large grin stretched across his lips. “And you’re pretty too, like, the most beautiful person I’ve ever seen in my whole life.” with that, the air of seriousness had dissipated as Koutarou bounded forward, taking large steps ahead while talking about nothing in particular. If he had turned around to face Keiji he would have definitely seen the blush which had crept up the others cheeks, neck, and ears. And if Keiji had peeked far enough over Koutarou's shoulder he would notice a very flustered Koutarou desperately trying to calm his erratic heartbeat.

The two men continued walking before arriving at Keiji’s class. The looks which were thrown their way and the whispers which followed hadn’t gone unnoticed. “Looks like you’re really popular, Akaashi.” They had just passed a group of female students who made no attempt at hiding their disappointment at the union of the two soulmates. Koutarou hadn’t tried masking his jealousy; instead, he shuffled closer to Keiji who hid a small smile, the thought of his soulmate being just as possessive as he was causing his heart to flutter. He said nothing as he moved closer to Koutarou’s side as if showing him that he would only ever remain there.

Once they had arrived at Keiji’s class, Koutarou waved him off as he stepped inside the lecture hall. Separately, they were fine but together, they were a whole lot better. This thought ran through the minds of both men each and every time they would have to part ways.


	11. Chapter 11

“Since the focus of this class is Modern Japanese Literature, I thought the first assignment of this semester should focus on just that; modernity.” Keiji studied the professor as he looped the word across the chalkboard, a slight high pitched screeching rung throughout the room. As the professor curved the tail of the last letter, he turned to face the class while dusting his hands. “I want you to write something, anything at all, reflecting the present. I have but one rule you will have to follow; I want you all to choose a modern-day author and write in their style.” Excited whispers circulated throughout the class, many students had already begun choosing the author they’d base their assignment on.

“In your writing, I want to easily identify the diversity of Yoko Ogawa or the surrealism of Haruki Murakami; I want to recognize who your inspiration was before reading your two-page essay analyzing one of their works.” The excitement which had fallen across the class was swiftly replaced by dismay much to the professor's amusement who merely laughed at the chorus of groans he’d received. 

Keiji had thought that the assignment in itself was easy enough. He’d read tons of books, so it wouldn’t be difficult to find a particular style of writing which he enjoyed. The problem he faced was choosing a topic to write on. As of recently, his writing had been filled by the image of his soulmate. It wasn’t a bad thing by any means but would it be okay for Keiji to hand in something so personal, so intimate? Not only that but how would Koutarou feel about the prospect of being the main character in Keiji’s romance drabble? The thought of the two of them regressing back to their previous state, where they walked on eggshells around one another, made Keiji grimace. They had just seemed to improve; they were finally comfortable around one another.

The rest of the lecture had gone off without a hitch; the professor had given the class time to begin on their pieces. Keiji had opted not to write and instead watched as the minutes slowly ticked by. As he made his way out of the lecture hall, he saw a smiling Koutarou leaning patiently against the adjacent wall. "Akaashi, I came to walk you back to the dorms." He loudly proclaimed as he pulled Keiji towards him. Keiji, who wasn't particularly used to physical contact, tensed at first before practically melting into his soulmate's grasp. 

"Are you tired, Akaashi?" Koutarou's once thunderous voice wilted into a tiny whisper as he watched Keiji's eyelids flutter shut. Keiji bobbed his head against Koutarou's chest, reveling in the familiar scent. "Why don't I take you back to your dorm so you can take a nap?" A nap sounded like heaven, Keiji's workload had seemed to triple in the last week and he hadn't been getting much sleep. He opened his eyes to meet Koutarou's gaze who looked at him with slight worry. Wordlessly, Keiji nodded as Koutarou gently led him away from the classroom and towards the dormitories. 

Keiji stepped inside first followed by Koutarou, the room was characteristically quiet. Kenma had begun spending most of his time with Kuroo since Keiji wasn't around much. Their schedules also hadn't helped them out with Keiji having morning classes and Kenma having his at night. Keiji shuffled towards his bed before collapsing face first. Feeling a tug at his foot, he lifted his face from the pillow looking down in confusion. Koutarou had his hand wrapped gently around Keiji's ankle removing his shoes. His back and shoulders flexed through his t-shirt as he made work of undoing the laces carefully before sliding the shoe off Keiji's heel. Keiji, who undoubtedly sported a bright pink blush, buried his head back into his pillow allowing Koutarou to finish.

"Don't go to sleep yet; you still have to change." Koutarou had mistaken Keiji's embarrassed action for him falling asleep and frantically, yet quietly, urged him to stay awake. Keiji nodded into his pillow as he heard the creaking of his wardrobe door. "Change and then you can nap, I promise." Unbeknownst to Keiji, Koutarou desperately tried to smother the warmth which slowly crept through his body. He had done so many impulsive things since stepping into the room. First, the shoes and now he went through Keiji's closet and all without permission. He watched Keiji tenderly lift the clothes he had gathered from his hands, their fingers accidentally brushing against one another's sending jolts throughout his body. Keiji gingerly padded towards the bathroom before emerging a few minutes later.

Koutarou pulled the blankets away from the bed allowing Keiji to get under them before tucking them back around his soulmate snuggly. As Koutarou began gathering his bag which he had abandoned once he entered the room, he felt a slight tug at the back of his shirt. “You can stay if you want to,” Keiji spoke with hesitance withdrawing his hand a second later. For the hundredth time today, embarrassment rolled across the faces of the two men. In the small room, there were very few places to hide so instead, the flushed men gazed at one another knowing they most definitely shared the same expression. The temperature of the room seemed to increase to a dizzying heat but that hadn’t stopped Koutarou from nodding before setting his bag back to the floor. 

Keiji experienced an unusual sense of anticipation as he watched Koutarou lower himself to the floor beside his bed. His back faced Keiji who gladly exploited the opportunity, once again staring to his heart's content. He dragged his eyes across the curves of Koutarou's neck and the protrusions of his spine in his hunched position. He watched as a few hairs fell limply at the back of his neck instead of being in their characteristic up style. Unconsciously, Keiji’s fingers ran through them lightly, toying at the strands. Koutarou hadn’t moved so Keiji had assumed he wasn’t aware. With the feeling of the soft strands lacing through his fingers he gradually let sleep overpower him, his heavy lids felt like weights as he let the darkness overcome him.

It was troublesome to breathe, or rather, Koutarou had forgotten how. The feeling of his soulmate's fingers running gently through his hair rooted him in place. It hadn’t lasted very long though, once the fingers stilled Koutarou had taken a chanced glance backward towards Keiji. He was stunned, the man whom he considered to be the most beautiful man he’d ever seen seemed almost bewitching. The way his eyelashes fluttered softly against his cheekbones like the flitter of a butterfly's wings had him tranced. It had taken every ounce of his self-control not to reach out to touch those ardent coral-colored lips which parted slightly with each exhale. The situation he found himself in felt surreal, he wasn’t sure whether or not he was dreaming but if he was, he never wanted to wake up. 

For the past week, Koutarou had been holding back. He was a physical person. He enjoyed being around people, having them close by; it made him feel less lonely. With Keiji, he had to refrain from being overly attached which hadn’t entirely gone to plan though he still tried. Today had been the first time Keiji had initiated any sort of physical contact, Koutarou wasn’t sure if he should blame it on the sleep deprivation Keiji most definitely suffered but he would take it as a win regardless. 

It was in moments like these where Keiji managed to surprise Koutarou the most, he would unknowingly lower his guard just enough for Koutarou alone, triggering a colossal sense of pride. It gave Koutarou a chance to see the real Keiji, past his reserved exterior and faux calm persona. It allowed him to see that Keiji needed him as much as he needed Keiji. Everyone wanted to feel needed by their fated match and when Koutarou had first gotten to know Keiji he thought that that would never happen, that Keiji would never need him the way he needed Keiji. As the two of them spent more time together, he felt that his deduction may have been slightly off. Whether consciously or unconsciously, Keiji would search for emotional support, contrary to his own search for physical support. In the short time they’d spent together, Koutarou had surprisingly learned a lot about Keiji. Even if others criticized his ability to be a good soulmate he was determined to do right by Keiji. With that thought in mind, he started doing something he wasn’t used to; he paid attention.

He knew Keiji had high standards for himself; he witnessed them each time Keiji frustratedly tore and crumpled pages from his notebooks. He knew Keiji didn’t like attention and saw it every time he ducked his head ever so slightly whenever he’d walk past people who commented about him. He knew that Keiji had trouble sleeping, his countless texts at any time of the night a tribute to this. At first, Koutarou hadn’t known what to do to relieve the stress his soulmate was under. Keiji had managed to help him countless times, talking him out of his moods and staying by his side regardless of the situation, he felt useless in comparison. He already saw Keiji as being perfect and the doubts Keiji had in himself confused Koutarou. He remembered thinking that if someone like Keiji wasn’t happy with himself then he shouldn’t be complacent either. 

He inserted himself into Keiji’s life and surprisingly, Keiji had allowed him to. Whenever Keiji got in his own head too much, Koutarou would intervene with a joke or a story. Something lighthearted to distract him from all the seriousness he had buried himself under. He’d bring Keiji coffee just the way he liked it, no cream and no sugar, whenever he felt Keiji looked extra tired. He’d even try extending physical affection, though he had never gone further than pulling Keiji into his side, up until today that is. 

Koutarou was wrenched from his thoughts with a start as his phone blared throughout the silent room causing a sleeping Keiji to stir slightly. Fumbling hurriedly, Koutarou pressed the green button before bringing the phone to his ear. He watched intently as the small frown which had made its way onto Keiji’s face slowly slipped away causing him to let out a relieved sigh. 

“Hey, baby brother.” The sound of his sister's boisterous voice had assaulted his eardrums before he sent back a whispered greeting. “Why are you whispering, Kou? I can barely hear you and it sounds weird since it's you.” Koutarou rolled his eyes at his sister's mocking tone.

“Keiji’s asleep, I don't want to wake him.” On queue, Koutarou was met with the cooing of his older sister. “You're all grown up,” his sister sniffled into the phone and he knew she was wiping at nonexistent tears, “that’s actually why I called; have you asked him yet?” The line had been silent before Koutarou heard a sigh. 

“Come on, we all want to meet him. You've spoken about him nonstop; it's time you introduce us.” Koutarou glanced over at Keiji who was still fast asleep before finally giving in. “Fine, I’ll ask him once he wakes up.”


	12. Chapter 12

Nervousness had finally set in once the two men stood outside the small latch gate which led up to the modest-looking house. It seemed as though whenever Keiji would finally get rid of his terrible habit of fiddling with his fingers, mass anxiety would overpower him. He'd be left with no other option but to rely on his lifelong crutch. Shouts could be heard up until the street and Keiji wondered how he’d be able to survive an entire day with the Bokuto family. True to his word, Koutarou had asked Keiji to meet his family who had initially refused. Regardless of his refusal, Keiji found himself weak against a disheartened Koutarou. He had eventually given in after a few hours of enduring the sullen face of his soulmate. A few days later, they were standing outside Koutarou’s childhood home. From the outside, it seemed welcoming, but Keiji was hesitant to approach in fear of what lay behind the front door. He agonized over the prospect of Koutarou’s family not approving of him, the thought causing his stomach to drop as if he had just gone down the steep decline of a roller coaster.

Koutarou experienced the same nervousness but for a different reason. Despite it being his own family and house, the thought of going inside caused his hands to tremble and his mouth to run dry. He had only agreed to his family meeting Keiji out of courtesy and slight fear of his sister showing up and taking matters into her own hands, which she had done before and, undoubtedly, would’ve done again. Koutarou loved his family; he did, but if people thought he handled life immaturely then they’d consider the rest of his family to be plain childish. They lacked boundaries in every sense of the word and whenever Koutarou had brought people home back in his high school days, it would always end in a mess of either venomously spat words or complete tears. They were all unapologetically themselves, which was great in theory but not so much in practice. Koutarou had lost count of the number of people they had unintentionally offended just by being themselves and the thought of that happening with Keiji made him feel slightly nauseous. 

Sucking up every last bit of courage he could scrounge, Koutarou turned to face Keiji. If he was nervous then he knew Keiji’s anxiousness was tenfold, he had to step up and be reliable. “Are you ready, Akaashi?” Koutarou watched as Keiji swallowed before turning towards him, Koutarou could sense panic in the wide eyes which stared back at him. “Don’t worry, I’m here.” Koutarou pushed the small gate open before stepping inside. Turning back, he extended a beckoning hand towards Keiji. With his one hand gripping tightly around the flowers he had insisted on buying and the other encompassed by the warmth radiating from his soulmate's palm, Keiji took several deep breaths to calm his nerves. As the two men made their way to the front door, Keiji wasn’t sure if it was the anticipation of meeting Koutarou’s family or the comforting feeling of his soulmate’s hand in his which sent his heart into a raging frenzy.

Koutarou stepped into the house first while calling out that they’d arrived. As Keiji was about to enter, he was promptly halted by Koutarou who had stopped dead in his tracks. Keiji stared at his soulmate’s back in confusion before raising himself onto his toes to see what had caused the sudden delay. As he glanced over Koutarou’s shoulder, instant regret flooded his body at the decision. Like whimpering prey to a pack of ravenous wolves, they were frozen in place. The two men found themselves surrounded by a sea of people, ranging from toddlers to elders, all staring at them with inquisition shining in their eyes. Everything had happened too quickly to properly process and before Keiji could comprehend what had happened, Koutarou’s back which had acted as his protective shield, vanished and he was pulled into the mass of people.

“This isn’t fair, how did Kou end up with such a handsome soulmate?”

“What’s your name? Where are you from? Do you go to school with Kou?”

“What do you do? Are you working? Are you a student?”

Question upon question was fired at Keiji without giving him any time to answer. People he didn’t know were touching him, grabbing him, and holding him. He was uncomfortable, to say the least, but he’d never let it show. He stood idly as he allowed everyone fussed over him. When he was given the opportunity to do so, he’d answer one of the abundances of questions, quietly with a small smile. He shook hands and exchanged greetings with almost everyone. He had met cousins, aunts, and uncles. He had even gotten to meet Koutarou’s grandparents who were the sweetest elderly couple Keiji had ever had the pleasure of meeting. Eventually, once all the formalities were exchanged, the large group had seemed to dwindle and Keiji was finally reunited with his soulmate. 

“I’m so sorry, this wasn’t supposed to happen. I thought it would just be my parents and my sisters.” Koutarou was horrified, no-one had told him that so many people would come, he even saw babysitters he had had when he was a child around the house. To top it all off, he had also been separated from Keiji who needed him at that moment. He was flustered and didn’t know how to make the situation better. Keiji watched as Koutarou aggressively fisted locks of his hair into his hands while letting out a frustrated grunt. His eyes were squeezed shut and his jaw was clenched, the agitation he was feeling was apparent to Keiji.

“Hey, I haven’t met your parents and sisters yet. How about the two of us go find them before the flowers are completely destroyed?” Keiji spoke gently. His fingers danced nimbly around Koutarou’s clenched hands, willing them to free his hair. With great care, he ran his hand through the mess of tangled strands his soulmate had created, his actions effectively erasing any traces of frustration. Keiji had gotten considerably bolder since the day in his dorm. Though his actions were small and light-handed, they were void of any hesitance. It wasn’t butterflies that stirred Koutarou’s stomach each time Keiji touched him, rather, it was a stampede of heavy hooved animals bounding through his entire body that shook him down to every nerve ending. It felt as though he had touched a livewire, but never in a painful way. Instead, he was filled with this immense feeling of pure bliss. Without fail, his brain would short-circuit at the slightest touch of Keiji’s soft hands. Nodding silently, he laced his fingers through Keiji’s awaiting ones before pulling him away from the crowd they had managed to draw.

Koutarou knew that anyone in the same situation would be overwhelmed, they’d possibly even go as far as leaving, but not Keiji. He knew Keiji was uncomfortable; he could feel it in the damp palm which tightened around his own in a vice grip. He wouldn’t even blame him if he wanted to leave, after all, he knew Keiji hated crowds and noise. But instead, he watched as Keiji straightened his shoulders with a determined glint in his eyes. 

If there was one thing Keiji had learned from his parent's high-class lifestyle, it was how to fake composure. He had come face to face with senators, CEOs, and directors many times in the past. A large portion of his childhood consisted of fancy dinners where talk of politics and business dealings dominated the conversation surrounding the dining table. If he was able to survive the distasteful glances and comments shot his way by some of the most influential people in Japan, speaking with his soulmate's family wouldn't be too difficult.

Hand in hand, the two men weaved through what felt like an endless expanse of people. Koutarou was forced to stop every now and again when a relative pulled him aside but they eventually managed to make their way to the kitchen, the only room left which could be hiding his family. “Mom? Are you guys in here?” Keiji walked through the narrow doorway following Koutarou closely, the last thing he wanted was to be separated again. Inside the kitchen, he was met with four pairs of eyes; three of which were strikingly similar to the champagne colored eyes he was fond of.

“You guys are finally here. Come closer, let us take a look at you.” The older woman, who Keiji assumed was Koutarou’s mother, gestured for him to step forward. He did as he was told, stepping around Koutarou and farther into the room where he became the center of attention. “Aunty, I brought these for you. I hope you’ll accept them.” Keiji lowered his head slightly as he presented the flowers to the raven-haired woman before him. “None of that,” Koutarou’s mother waved her hand dismissively causing Keiji’s stomach to drop and a cold sweat to break out across his forehead, “you’re my son now, you’ll call me Okaasan.” Keiji’s dread slipped away in an instant as the room filled with the ringing of laughter and he was pulled into various hugs. 

Keiji wasn’t used to this environment; his own family had always been a sensitive subject. He didn’t know families were even capable of functioning the way the Bokuto household did. They laughed, and joked, and teased one another but the love they all shared was as evident as it was undeniable. Keiji was in awe of Koutarou’s parents, who insisted on being addressed as Okaasan and Otousan respectively. They had been together throughout their adolescent years and well into adulthood but they seemed like a newly formed couple entering into their honeymoon phase. Koutarou’s sisters, Katsumi-san and Kohara-san, doted on their younger brother. Keiji had known and seen siblings who got along but none of them held a candle to the Boukuto siblings. They all had the same vibrant energy and infectious laughter that was impossible to deplore. Keiji was an only child and watching the way the siblings interacted with one another almost made him feel envious of the relationship they shared.

He thought back to earlier where, before walking in, he questioned how he’d endure an entire day in this house but now; he found himself never wanting to leave. The dinner table was full and boisterous as opposed to the one plate setting he had grown accustomed to back at his own home. The crying of babies, the ringing of laughter, and the sound of deafening shouts all mingled together but much to Keiji’s surprise; he hadn’t found them to be unpleasant. By contrast, all the noises fell on his ears like a long-forgotten song which he had rediscovered. He hadn’t realized how desperately he lacked this, how long he had craved this. As he sat, surrounded by people he had only just met yet already felt so comfortable around, a bitter thought entered his mind. It wasn’t until he had met the Bokuto family had he realized; there wasn’t something inherently special about other families, his own was just dysfunctional. 

He had always known that it was true but refused to admit it to himself, instead he stored away all the heartbreak his childhood had left him within a small box in the deepest, darkest corner of his mind. The revelation had hit Keiji hard; he had been on his own for twenty years and had encountered a problem with it until now. Twenty years' worth of birthday parties and graduations, he’d spent them alone. He’d taught himself how to ride a bike, how to swim. He fought monsters under his bed and in his closet alone. Outgrew his fear of thunder and the dark alone. He had tutors and housekeepers but it wasn’t the same, they looked upon him with sympathy disguised as care and that's not what Keiji wanted. He felt like a small child whilst he admitted something to himself which he had pushed down his entire life; he wanted his mom and dad.


	13. Chapter 13

It was funny, laughable, really. He knew exactly what the problem was, he knew that he could just go back home or pick up the phone but his body physically wouldn't allow him to. He hated it; he hated the caged feeling which constantly weighed him down, but he couldn't escape it. He had lived like a caged bird all his life, placed on display for everyone to view as they pleased. In a sense, that had been his own fault. In his childhood, Keiji was determined to gain his parent's attention. From an early age, he was winning award after award, everyone had called him gifted but that wasn't the case. In an attempt to grab win his parent's favor; he worked hard, he studied, and he practiced. He thought that if he did something worthy of praise then they'd finally come home.

Despite his laborious efforts, they almost never returned. At the time, eight-year-old Keiji was confused. He was confused, sad, and angry. God, he was so angry. Why didn't his parents ever come home? What were they doing? Where were they? Keiji remembered he would ask the staff those exact questions every day without fail and in return, he'd receive a forced smile. "Your parents love you very much, Kei-chan. They'd be here if they could." It always felt rehearsed, unsympathetic, like they were paid to purposely lie to him. Later, he would learn that he had been correct. Their main job was to look after Keiji, play with him, and care for him but truthfully; that was a smokescreen. Their intended purpose was to distract Keiji from the fact that his parents were never home, they were to deflect or go as far as ignoring any questions he had about them. Eight-year-old Keiji was none the wiser in this situation and eventually, after seeking answers to questions that were paid no mind, gave up on looking for them.

Ten-year-old Keiji was determined to surpass the efforts of eight-year-old Keiji. He thought that his parents obviously weren't impressed by the achievements he had obtained thus far, otherwise, they would have been home already. He thought that he had to do even more if he were to ever get his parent's attention and so began the year of Olympiads and spelling bees. He acquired medals, certificates, and trophies in various events in which he always placed first, he had proudly displayed his winnings in anticipation of his parents' arrival yet this too never brought them back home. Eleven-year-old Keiji hated everything he had ever won, that's what he thought as he destroyed every last trace of the display he had worked so diligently to accumulate. Torn certificates, bent medals, and dented trophies. That was all that was left to show for the countless hours of dedication he had poured his heart into. "They never come home so when was I going to show them?" That was the detached answer he gave when the housekeeper had looked upon the mess he had made in complete horror. 

Twelve-year-old Keiji was used to being alone; he had years of practice. That year, however, there would be a slight change to that fact. It was the year filled with extravagant dinners and high-profile events. That year would stick with Keiji as it was the most he had ever seen his parents at once. His father's business had finally begun bringing in revenue, and his mother had kicked off her career as a trailblazer female lawyer at an all-male firm. His parents had begun climbing in social ranks and what better way to get even further than to introduce their so-called genius son to all their colleagues? Their family was put on a pedestal: a rising lawyer, a pragmatic businessman, and their brilliant son. It was a cliché that twelve-year-old Keiji wasn’t familiar with; he was to act as the heir to the Akaashi family. At the time, Keiji hadn’t known what his future would hold, but he was certain that he didn’t want to follow in the footsteps of either his mother or his father, he didn’t want to do anything that would keep him away from his home or his eventual family.

Thirteen-year-old Keiji had finally found out what trouble was and he had no qualms over getting himself into it. Keiji had made his debut as a troublemaker in his first year of middle school. He was never the disruptive nor disorderly type; he had never been, but he had a temper that no-one knew how to deal with. It was a sort of dry anger, his stoic face and silver tongue hid the volcanic rage which festered deep within him. On the surface level, his anger would show itself as snarky answers or matter-of-fact statements provided with a condescending smile which threw everyone for a loop. Keiji had always been more mature than the children around him, his behavior had stood out starkly amongst the hair pulling and the name-calling. His outbursts were strange because one couldn’t really call them that. They were quiet but always cut deep. He hid malice behind each word he spoke and would aim them precisely at weak points to inflict the most damage.

Fourteen-year-old Keiji made his first friend. If it were anyone else, they'd find it difficult to consider a teacher as a friend but Keiji didn't care. In his second year of middle school, he had sparked a debate with his English teacher which led to a few harsh words and eventually, a parent-teacher meeting. His parents had never shown, that wasn’t surprising. "I haven't seen them in almost a year, they never come home." Keiji was too busy fiddling with the torn skin around his fingernails to notice the teacher's expression, his heart bled for Keiji. This man would later become the cornerstone of Keiji's dream to become a writer. He had noticed that Keiji was an exemplary student in the past and was determined to bring back the boy he once was. The two of them would read together whenever there was free time. Keiji would ask him questions, sometimes about a book he was reading and other times, just about life and growing up in general. This teacher was a pivotal point in Keiji's development from a child to a teenager. He would also become the second source of heartbreak Keiji would experience at the hands of an adult. It couldn't be helped, and it was no-one's choice nor fault, just a freak accident which had claimed the lives of several others. He'd been killed in a collision close to Keiji's graduation; that day would be the first time in years where Keiji cried.

Sixteen-year-old Keiji finally learned about soulmates. He had overheard a few girls talking about it in class, and the topic had stayed on his mind. At this time, at least one of his parents would be home periodically. They'd alternate weekly but that didn't mean that they'd always stay home. Most of the time, whichever parent had come to stay would end up sleeping at work. Keiji had gone home that day in search of answers to questions he had regarding what he had heard, he could vividly remember the way his father had gone rigid. His voice was clipped as he answered. "Soulmates are nonsense, don't fill your head with such useless things." Most, if not all, of his questions, got a similar response from both parents. It was then that Keiji had grown attached to the idea; someone made for him alone, someone who complimented him but most importantly, someone who would never leave. Like most things in his life, it didn’t work out that way. There wasn’t much surprise on Keiji’s behalf when his soulmate hadn’t appeared when his surrounding classmates had begun finding theirs. Instead of surprise, there was the accustomed feeling of self-loathing and bitterness, but small flickers of hope were yet to be extinguished.

Eighteen-year-old Keiji had packed his own bags and moved his own belongings into a small apartment when he graduated high school. Unbeknownst to his parents, Keiji received scholarships to countless universities. It seemed as though his hard work had counted for something since he would no longer have to rely on his parents, if one could even call them that, for anything. He had been saving prize money and part-time earnings for as long as he could remember, he was determined to be free of his so-called family. He cut his ties and rinsed his hands of them; he hadn’t expected them to care much, but he had at least anticipated some sort of reaction. It was in that year where he had broken the news to them about his plans for his future and, to say the least, it wasn’t received well. He received more backlash over not following the career paths of his parents than he did for moving out without notice. Their reactions had cut deep, they had been more upset about him following a dream which they considered to be out of reach than their son leaving.

Twenty-year-old Keiji felt like eight-year-old Keiji had. He was confused, angry, and sad. God, he was so sad. "Akaashi, you've been quiet. I'm sorry about today, are you upset?" Koutarou stared at Keiji whose glassy eyes shone under the lit lamps in the courtyard. They had just made it back to campus, Keiji had been quieter than usual causing panic to flare through Koutarou who worried that the events of today had been too much to handle. Keiji had always been quiet, but there was something different about it now, something unsettling. Koutarou grabbed Keiji's face, cradling his soulmate's cheeks in his calloused hands. "I need you to talk to me, Keiji." 

Maybe it was the use of his given name or the feeling of Koutarou's warm hands anchoring him in place but the last string of Keiji's resolve snapped. "Why do they always leave?" It didn't feel real but at the same time, it did. Keiji felt as though he was watching a scene from a movie instead of physically experiencing what was happening. He was in tears, but he didn’t know when he had started crying. "Is there something wrong with me?" Words exited his mouth, but his voice never reached his ears. Instead, a shrill ringing echoed throughout his mind. "Why don't they love me?" He found himself on the ground, knees pulled to his chest while he was gently swayed back and forth.

It was as if all his compartmentalized fears and insecurities had been dumped out in the open, he felt so vulnerable. Koutarou didn't know what was happening, he was terrified and concerned for the man who sobbed uncontrollably into his chest. The sight of his soulmate in distress caused physical pain to stab at his stomach but he was completely powerless. The only thing he could do, that he knew how to do, was stay beside Keiji. He wasn't going to move from Keiji's side, not until whatever he was experiencing passed and not even after that.

Keiji was in disarray; it felt as though the ground had been swiped from under his feet and he was free-falling, he was dropping into endless nothingness. He knew that it wasn’t physically possible, but the feeling was real and it was terrifying. Koutarou held Keiji tightly as he gently rocked his soulmate, willing him to calm down. There wasn’t much else to do but wait with bated breath and tear strained vision.


	14. Chapter 14

Keiji awoke in a bed which wasn’t his own. As he looked around, he didn’t recognize the room itself but the haphazardly thrown clothes struck him as familiar. He had also most definitely recognized the textbooks, with their battered covers and pages overflowing with place holders, which littered the nearby desk. The most significant indicator had been the comforting scent that met his nose as he lifted the blanket, it was enough to tell him exactly where he was. He had always heard that someone's room was a reflection of themselves, this had been proven when it came to Koutarou. To someone like Keiji, nothing seemed to be in place yet it didn’t feel like there’d be any trouble finding things. There was a system of organized chaos in place which, since it was Koutarou, would have been established accidentally. 

Keiji had been too busy taking in his surroundings to notice the sound of a key entering the lock of the front door. Koutarou stepped inside quietly, his arms overflowing with brown paper bags and foam cups which Keiji assumed held coffee. He had nearly dropped everything to the floor as he turned around to find his awaiting soulmate sitting up in bed. “I thought you’d still be asleep; I didn’t wake you right?” Keiji jerked his head as he gratefully accepted the foam cup from Koutarou’s outstretched hand. As the hot beverage slid over his tongue, he gave a content sigh. Coffee, he had been correct.

Koutarou took a seat at the end of the bed, handing Keiji a blueberry muffin from the on-campus café. They basked in the welcomed silence which surrounded them as they ate breakfast together. It was an odd feeling for Keiji. Usually, he’d want to be left alone first thing in the morning but sitting across from his soulmate while the two of them shared a meal had his heart yearning to do so each and every morning. They didn’t speak but every few seconds or so, Koutarou would steal glances at the angelic man before him. He wasn’t very good at subtlety though and would be caught each time by Keiji who’d gaze at him from under a curtain of fluttering lashes.

“We didn’t do anything last night, did we, Bokuto-san?” Keiji spoke up first, his smooth voice piercing the silence. He had only just realized he wasn’t in his own clothes as he pulled at the oversized t-shirt which had slipped down to expose his collar bone. Koutarou stared at Keiji in confusion, whose words finally registered as he noted the steadily rising blush which crawled up Keiji’s neck and cheeks. “Oh, shit. No, no, we didn’t do that.” Koutarou’s words rushed out as he hastily brought his hands up. “I would never. Wait, not that I wouldn’t. I mean, I would but we didn’t.” It was Koutarou’s turn to be embarrassed; he laid his head in his hands as he attempted fighting off the warmth rising in his cheeks to no avail. 

The soft sound of Keiji’s laugh bounced around the four walls much to Koutarou’s displeasure, however, the frown he wore hadn’t stayed for long. A small smile stitched itself upon his face as he watched as Keiji’s shoulders shook with laughter. Koutarou stared shamelessly as he watched his soulmates defined cheekbones rise higher as the smile he hid stretched wider behind his hand. “So, Bokuto-san. If we didn’t do that then, why exactly would I be here?” Keiji’s smile faltered slightly as he watched Koutarou’s fall completely. His tender gaze soon shifted into one of confusion as he studied Koutarou’s unreadable expression. “You don’t remember?” Once again, Koutarou’s lips creased into a frown as his eyebrows knitted together.

Keiji was sure their expressions mirrored one another. He remembered they had gone to meet Koutarou’s family but that's as far as his memory went, it was as if the rest of the night was blanketed by a heavy fog. Keiji hesitantly shook his head at his soulmate's question as fear settled into the pit of his stomach. What happened last night? Did the meeting go badly? Why couldn't he remember? Questions he had no answers to overran him. With a faint sigh, Koutarou lifted himself from the end of the bed before motioning for Keiji to move over. They sat side by side as Koutarou began recounting the events of the previous night. Initially, Keiji was in denial. It couldn’t have happened, there was no way he would have allowed that to happen in front of Koutarou of all people. But as Keiji’s gravest fears passed Koutarou’s lips, he knew it was true. There was no way he could have invented the story but know each and every detail of the fears Keiji had worked so hard to suppress down to the exact wording. Those were things Keiji hadn’t even said aloud to himself. 

“You weren’t calming down so I brought you here. Kuroo was with Kenma, I had him stay the night there.” This wasn’t a situation Keiji had ever found himself in, he was always calm and rational but those qualities had seemed to have abandoned him. Instead, there was only one word he could think of to describe how he felt about the events which had just taken place; mortification. As Koutarou had filled in his lacking memory, Keiji found himself recalling small portions of the night. There wasn’t anything substantial that stuck out but there were hazy recollections of comparisons he had drawn between his soulmate's family and his own which had stayed with him. It was silent once again, Keiji was busy trying to piece his memory back together after what felt like a grenade had shattered his entire world. “I’m so sorry.” Those were the only muffled words he managed to choke out from behind his hands in which his face was buried. Koutarou hesitantly drew his hands away to reveal a pained expression, he pulled Keiji to his chest who put up no resistance. He felt soothing fingers path a trail through his hair and down his back in a steady rhythm, lulling his frayed nerves.

“Would it be okay to talk about it?” Koutarou’s whispered words had been phrased as a question but Keiji doubted that there was much of a choice. A major human nature flaw was inquisition and Koutarou hadn't fallen short in that department; he wanted to know everything there was to know about Keiji even at the risk of sounding pushy. He didn’t have another choice; he knew that if it were up to Keiji, he’d be kept in the dark forever. It was essential for him to know everything if he were to ever be of any help in Keiji’s most desperate times. A few seconds passed before Koutarou felt Keiji nodding into his chest. In an attempt to retain some semblance of his dignity, Keiji didn’t raise his head as he told Koutarou about his estranged family.

“I thought I was over it; it's not like they were terrible people, they were just never around.” As Keiji spoke, he listened to the heartbeat under his ear as it grew louder and faster. Raising his head slightly, he was met with a scowl. “How can you sit here and say they weren’t terrible people? You don’t know what you looked like last night.” It was the second time Keiji had seen Koutarou angry; it wasn’t something he would ever get used to. He hated it whenever his soulmate lost his characteristic grin, it felt like he was looking at a different person. There was something unnerving about Koutarou when he was angry. He had the ability to alter the whole atmosphere of a room with the sheer force of his rage alone. 

“Listen to me, as much as I loathe the thought of them being my parents, I can't change it. I have no feelings towards them but at the same time, I love them.” Keiji may have seemed as though he was speaking to Koutarou but in reality, this was something he had to admit to himself. “They may not have been a part of it, but they gave me my life, and I’ve spent the majority of it resenting them for that.” Words tumbled past his lips, it had been the first time he had spoken so openly on the topic. “When I was younger, I didn’t have a choice in the matter. But now that I’m older, I can’t help but feel as though I could have changed the outcome of the entire situation.” In a situation like the one Keiji found himself in, there wasn’t always one clear answer as to who was right and who was wrong. His parents weren’t innocent, but Keiji was in no position to play the judge at their trial; he ran away as soon as he was of age.

All families had their issues, some far worse than that of the Akaashi family, and they managed to find solutions. So, what exactly was stopping his? It was undeniable, the issue at hand was pride. He had closed so many doors because of pride, he had nowhere left to go. Looking back on the decisions he had made up until this point, his actions exuded immaturity. That wasn’t an issue, that was what he was after all. Back then, he was still a child. Children weren’t supposed to act in an alternative way. They were supposed to be bratty and immature; they were supposed to act out if they weren’t given attention or shown the unconditional love of their parents they were entitled to. Keiji had always thought he had never clicked with the children his age. At that time, he had thought he was too mature for them but as he looked back, he realized he had a lot more in common with them than he ever thought.

“Do you forgive them?” Keiji stared at his hands as he contemplated his answer. He never genuinely thought about forgiveness, he never thought much about his parents in general. “No, I don't think I ever will, but I want to.” That was the last they spoke of the topic. Keiji didn’t want to go any further and Koutarou was happy to shift the conversation to something which lifted the gloomy look from his soulmate's face. 

It was a gorgeous day outside, but the two men would never know that. Instead, with the curtains drawn closed and the comforter pulled over them, they relished in the contentment which enveloped them. Lazy patterns over clothed skin and gentle tousling of hair; the two soulmates were cut off from the world for the rest of the day. At that moment, nothing else mattered. Whispered conversation occupied the space between them, breaths mingling as they spoke. Neither man knew how badly the other wanted to meet their lips halfway.


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now, for an unsuspected POV shift. :)
> 
> P.S. This takes place after Kou and Keiji come back from meeting Kou's family but it'll only be clear towards the end of the chapter. Enjoy!

He didn’t understand, what did Koutarou have that made him stand out even in a sea of people and what did he lack that kept him shrouded in the shadow of his former teammate? It wasn’t as though he never put in the work. He was overflowing with drive and devotion but somehow, Konoha found the gap between himself and Koutarou growing further and further with each passing day. He couldn’t help but compare himself to Koutarou, however, he still couldn’t find what made the aforementioned so special. So, if they were supposed equals, why was Koutarou growing and thriving whilst he could feel himself slowly withering away? Koutarou was a regular on their varsity volleyball team while he was nothing short of being a ball boy. Koutarou, despite his substandard performance in high school, excelled in his course work. Konoha couldn’t say the same, he found himself failing courses and lacking credits required to graduate. Koutarou was always surrounded by people, whether they were friends or fans. Konoha, on the other hand, watched as the circle of people he interacted with shrunk as the years went by. The combination of all of Koutarou’s successes weighed against his own losses, despite knocking at his confidence, hadn’t bothered him half as much as the fact that Koutarou had finally found his soulmate.

The first time Konoha had seen Keiji; he had been among the masses of students stunned by the latter's beauty. He had had a lecture that day and by the grace of God, a deity or whoever controlled fate, happened to pass by as the student advisors had been doing roll call for the exchange program. Konoha hadn’t missed the way the students around him discreetly moved closer to hear better as Keiji gave his name to the advisor, all of them curious as to who the stunning man was. There had only been one thought which floated through his mind as he watched Keiji who seemed to add an otherworldly grace to the most ordinary of tasks; he was going to speak to him the next chance he got.

The second time Konoha had seen Keiji was a fleeting encounter at the gym. Keiji hadn’t noticed him, not that he had much reason to, but he was happy, nonetheless. He watched Keiji walk in and as he was about to turn on his charm and saunter over towards the beautiful man, he was met with Keiji's retreating figure. He watched in confusion as the group which had arrived with Keiji exploded into a heated conversation but paid no mind. He would get other chances after all.

The third time Konoha had seen Keiji it had been by coincidence. He’d only taken the Japanese Literature class to raise his credits; he was surprised to learn that Keiji was a Literature major but he welcomed it nonetheless. Just as Konoha was about to make good on the promise he had made to himself, to speak to Keiji, he found himself haunted by a ghost thought to have been exorcised. Keiji’s reflection was not his own; it showed up vaguely and disappeared in the window every now and again but there was no doubt in Konoha’s mind that the reflection was of Koutarou. He didn’t know whether the two of them had met yet, memories of the encounter at the gym slowly resurfacing, but even if they hadn’t properly met, it wouldn’t be long before they did. Koutarou was popular around campus and it seemed as though Keiji would be too, there was no way that they’d miss one another for long.

Contrary to what people may think when they hear this; the issue at hand was not the fact that Keiji was Koutarou’s soulmate. Konoha possessed no feelings for Keiji outside of thinking he was beautiful, like the majority of people who had met Keiji. This wasn’t as easy as a situation of unrequited love on Konoha’s part. In fact, the issue lay with Koutarou finding his soulmate; it didn't matter who they were. He was never supposed to meet them, at least, that's what the years of torment were supposed to ensure. Konoha had spent every waking second of his high school years crippling Koutarou’s self-esteem, shattering his confidence, and stealing the idea that he was capable of being loved. 

This wasn’t a tale of moderate dislike towards a person; this was full-blown jealousy in its rawest essence. This was bitterness, resentment, and spite that had no better justification other than the fact that Konoha could never live up to Koutarou in any sense it seemed. He didn’t know when his feelings towards Koutarou had shifted from being friendly and kind to the mass of seemingly endless negativity. There was a possibility that he had harbored those feelings unconsciously since the very first day the two had met.

“Hey, my name is Bokuto Koutarou. Starting today, we’ll be on the same team. Please take care of me.” He was shorter then, less muscular too. That was probably the first and only time Konoha had ever felt superior to him. As a nervous first-year, that was the way Konoha had always wanted to view Koutarou but that didn’t materialize. During the first game their team had, their regular ace had sprained his ankle. His timing hadn't been synchronized with the rest of the team causing the accident and resulting in Koutarou being subbed in. He was out of his element at first, having never participated in an actual match. And there it was, the nervous first-year Koutarou which gave Konoha so much pleasure despite having been in the same position a month prior. To his greatest disappointment, the newly subbed ace hadn’t retained that uncertainty throughout the entirety of the game; with each spike, he seemed to grow taller, his chest seemed to broaden, and eventually, gone was the nervous first-year replaced by the future ace of Fukurodani. The first time Konoha would ever feel superior would soon turn into the first time he felt small next to his new teammate.

It was that day where Konoha vowed he’d do his utmost to surpass Koutarou regardless of his tactless means; and in certain spheres of life, he had succeeded. He never wasted a single opportunity to belittle Koutarou who wasn’t as dedicated to his school work as he was to volleyball. “I thought it was a joke but you actually are dumber than you look.” The test which Koutarou had laid face-down on his desk had been snatched into Konoha’s hands. He wore a joking smile which hid his malice filled words. Koutarou had let out a weary laugh as he attempted to retrieve the paper. The abundance of red slashes through his answers seemed even brighter as he watched Konoha flaunt the sheet of paper around for the entire class to see. Konoha was intoxicated by the helpless look in Koutarou's eyes and the shame which rose in his expression. This would be the first of many times where he would revel in Koutarou’s misery.

The first time Koutarou had gotten flustered and allowed his emotions to control him; Konoha had wasted no time in highlighting his behavior as unfitting of being a part of the team which had only escalated the situation, much to his own satisfaction. None of Koutarou’s spikes were connecting, it was an uncharacteristic off day, triggering shouts and protests from Konoha as well as the rest of the team. It wouldn’t have been an issue on any other day, but that day had been a match day. Konoha could remember the way Koutarou shut down vividly, he had seared the image into his retinas, satisfied with yet another broken expression he had caused. Koutarou wound up benched for the next two weeks, with no practice nor matches. The defeated expression he wore was exhilarating to Konoha, and he couldn’t help but want to seem more of it.

The first time Koutarou had received a confession, despite not being remotely interested in the person who had confessed, the situation hadn't sat well with Konoha. Resentment bubbled up slowly from the pit of his stomach and up to his throat before he venomously spat at an unsuspecting Koutarou. “How could anyone think they’d be able to put up with you? They’re delusional if you ask me.” Koutarou was quiet, most of his outgoing energy had since dissipated with thanks to Konoha who held great pride in knowing he had the ability to silence the renowned loud-mouth. Before long, Koutarou had let out a chuckle which was obviously strained. “I know, right? I turned the confession down; I’m waiting for someone else anyway.” In that conversation, it had been the first time in months where Konoha had seen a genuine smile on Koutarou’s face. “Who?” He watched as Koutarou’s usually lifeless eyes shone a vibrant gold as he stared into the distance. “My soulmate, I’m ready to find them.”

Konoha, however, was not ready. He wasn’t prepared for the beacon of light Koutarou formerly was to return. Consequently, he did the only thing he knew how; relentlessly and brutally, he delivered blow after blow to an already fragile Koutarou in an attempt to stall the inevitable. When it came to soulmates; both boys had equal footing, neither of them had found theirs yet. Konoha had wanted to, he was ready and had already given in to fate. His soulmate, however, wasn’t at that point in their lives yet. There wasn’t any certainty that Koutarou’s soulmate would be ready; they could possibly be like his own but, there wasn’t any certainty that they wouldn't be either. It was a gamble Konoha felt as though he couldn't risk losing. So, instead of allowing fate to take its course, he stood between it and Koutarou. He had no control over Koutarou’s soulmate, he didn’t know who they were, but he had control of Koutarou. For the entirety of high school, he managed to implant doubt in Koutarou’s mind which surrounded any and all thoughts of his soulmate.

Now, as he stood watching the two soulmates embrace in the darkness of the night, he could do nothing to nullify the anger which festered within him. What had he invested so many years into? He had done all of that only to feel exactly like his sixteen-year-old self had; inferior. Konoha could no longer lie to himself by saying he and Koutarou were the same because there was now one distinct difference between the two of them. The jealousy he had somewhat abandoned had once again reared its ugly head and this time, he would give in to its irrational demands no matter the consequences.


	16. Chapter 16

"Akaashi, I came to walk you to class." Keiji frowned at the beaming man who had previously been assaulting his door. This had become a habit of Koutarou over the past few days, despite Keiji's protests. After Keiji's unexpected breakdown, Koutarou had been even more hesitant to leave his side. As collateral for not being able to spend every second with his beloved soulmate, he settled for spending every waking second with Keiji. This unfortunately meant earlier mornings for the latter. Keiji let out a disgruntled groan as he stepped away from the doorway allowing Koutarou to let himself in. "Good morning, Kenma." Koutarou's chipper mood was not received well, Kenma scrunched his face in mild annoyance before burying his head further into his pillow.

"Bokuto-san, it's five in the morning. You know my classes only start at seven." Keiji watched as Koutarou's vibrant mood dulled into a timid expression, he looked at his feet while speaking. "Ah, I've got practice this morning. I wanted you to watch." Despite the ungodly hour and the tiredness which weighed at his limbs and eyes, Keiji couldn't find it in himself to remain upset. Koutarou shifted uneasily before him as a small child would when scolded. With a sigh, he made his way towards the bathroom. When he emerged again, freshly showered and dressed, he was met by an anxious-looking Koutarou perched at the foot of his bed. 

"What are you waiting for? You'll be late for practice, Bokuto-san." Koutarou catapulted himself towards Keiji, cheering as he brought the shorter man under his arm. Ideally, an extra few hours of sleep would be heaven's equivalent to Keiji. His sleeping schedule had been overturned, assignments and tests piling up, but the smile on Koutarou's face immediately threw all those thoughts away. Koutarou beamed as the two of them made their way to the gymnasium, the sight alone was enough to rejuvenate Keiji's fatigued state. As Koutarou began warming up, Keiji settled into the bleachers before pulling out his laptop.

If he was going to stick around, he might as well get some work done. The rational part of Keiji's mind screeched at the thought of using even a portion of his overworked brain; however, that hadn't stopped the worn-out man as he pulled up the assignment folder for his Modern Literature class. He'd postponed the assignment until now purely because his inspiration hadn't ventured outside of a certain someone. At the rate he was going it seemed as though it never would. Keiji's fingers hovered over the keys as he trailed his eyes along the court before settling on Koutarou. He was focused, as he habitually was on the court, his eyebrows knitted slightly and his lips set in a straight line. It was unusual to see any expression outside of his trademark grin, so these rare moments of engrossment always drew a small chuckle from Keiji. 

His assignment had been to write on something present and despite the concept of soulmates being as old as time itself, Keiji’s journey with his had just begun. He wasn’t sure how Koutarou would respond to being the muse of his next piece. Those were potential mixed feelings he’d deal with later. Keiji had always had a flair for poeticism; he was able to romanticize the most mundane of situations. Although it definitely helped when writing aesthetically, he wanted this specific piece to capture his feelings and experiences for what they were. He focused on writing concisely as opposed to his usual circumlocution of events. In focusing on how his words would be received instead of envisioned, he was able to showcase the relationship the two of them had formed. Keiji’s words lacked no impact, despite his sudden style shift which he attributed to Hiromi Kawakami. Words seemed to pour through his fingertips as he masterfully engrained each line he composed with the essence of the time he and Koutarou had spent together.

Keiji hadn’t found it difficult to adapt to another style; conceivably because he could write just about anything so long as it was about Koutarou. Time seemed to stand still around him as he became absorbed in his writing. Minutes blurred creating the illusion that mere seconds had passed. Keiji filled page upon page dedicated to his soulmate. From the first time he had noticed his reflection until the exact moment he sat watching Koutarou, he documented each and every moment they had shared. “Kaashi, practice is over.” His writing had been interrupted by a sweat-drenched Koutarou who waved an outstretched hand towards Keiji. Snapping out of the trance-like state he found himself within, Keiji drew back from the laptop screen which was perched on his knees. “You didn’t even watch me.” Keiji watched as his soulmate’s lower lip jutted out in a pout as he spoke. With a gentle sigh, Keiji gathered his belongings before making his way down to where the sulking man stood.

“I’m sorry, Bokuto-san. This assignment is extremely important.” When taking the grade scale into consideration, the assignment was nothing special but the subject matter was held close to Keiji’s heart. Koutarou only let out a huff whilst grumbling under his breath. Begrudgingly, he began making his way out of the gymnasium with Keiji in tow. “You’re hungry, right? Let's get something to eat before class.” The two men walked side by side, Koutarou’s excited voice flowed with the wind as he chatted about nonsensical things. When they arrived at the café, Keiji was surprised to be greeted by name. “Keiji, you’re back. I haven’t seen you around since that day.” Shoyo bounced on the balls of his feet from behind the counter. 

Keiji gave a slight smile and lifted his hand in greeting as he entered. Shoyo’s radiant smile flitted to a momentary expression of confusion as he noticed Koutarou following behind him. “Bokuto-senpai, you know Keiji?” The confusion on Shoyo’s part hadn’t lasted for long as he turned to Keiji at breakneck speed. “Wait, Keiji, Bokuto-senpai is your soulmate isn’t he?” Excitement sparkled in his eyes as he looked up at a now embarrassed Keiji. He nodded as he felt his cheeks grow warm from the sudden attention directed towards him, not just from Shoyo but Koutarou too who gazed at him tenderly.

“I can’t believe the soulmate you were talking about turned out to be Bokuto-senpai. Kags, Keiji and Bokuto-senpai are soulmates, isn’t that cool?” The tall man Keiji had recalled from their previous meeting, Kageyama, appeared from what looked like a storage room. He tousled Shoyo’s hair as the smaller of the two gushed over the recent discovery. Once the excitement had died down, Keiji and Koutarou took a seat anticipating the orders they had placed. With Shoyo's focus severed, all the work lay on Tobio who wore a displeased expression as he delivered their food.

The mug Keiji had lifted to his mouth had stilled as Koutarou spoke up. "So, you and Chibi-chan spoke about me?" He flashed a lopsided grin while leaning back in his chair, satisfied with the newfound information. Keiji kept his expression neutral as he peered over the rim of the raised mug before nodding. "After seeing you for the first time in the gym, I thought I should give up on the possibility of us being soulmates." The satisfied expression Koutarou wore melted into one of horror. "After speaking with Shoyo, he changed my mind, obviously." Keiji gestured his hand between the two of them. Koutarou mumbled something about thanking Shoyo later at which Keiji gave a stifled laugh. A blanket of silence covered the two men before Keiji spoke in a lowered voice.

“Bokuto-san, I want to introduce you to my family.” Koutarou nodded absentmindedly as he took another bite of his cake before the reality of Keiji’s words struck him. Spluttering, he took a sip from the drink in front of him whilst he stared at the man across from him with wide doe-like eyes. “Akaashi, that's a big step. I thought you weren’t ready to talk to your parents.” Keiji nodded in agreement as Koutarou hastily wiped the table clean of any evidence of his initial shock. Keiji bore a thoughtful look as he stared past Koutarou for a fraction of a second. “I’m not ready, but I wasn’t talking about them. After meeting your family, it sort of hit me that in cutting off my parents, I lost contact with my extended family too.” Koutarou watched as a small frown made its way to Keiji’s lips twisting his beautiful face downward. “But then I realized something; I still have family or, at least, people I consider to be my family.” Where Keiji lacked family, he made up for with the few friends he had. He considered those friends to be just as, if not more, important to him than any blood relative.

“I wasn’t very popular, so there won’t be nearly as many people who show in comparison to you. But I want you to meet my roommate from back home and a few other people. It’ll also give me a chance to see them again; it's been a while.” Keiji thought back to the few people he had stayed in contact with after leaving his parent's house; he would have to call them, he prayed their numbers hadn’t changed. Snapping out of his thoughts, Keiji met Koutarou’s gaze. He wore an unreadable expression, not quite stoic but void of his usual excitement. “I’m proud of you, Keiji.” The way he had said it sent an unintentional shiver up Keiji’s spine. 

“What for, Bokuto-san?” His voice had come out level but his heart was beating vigorously against his ribcage as if attempting to escape, the effect Koutarou had on his heart would most definitely put him in an early grave. Koutarou shrugged, suddenly feeling shy. “I’m proud of you because, despite everything you’ve experienced, you’re a good person. You’re a lot warmer than you give yourself credit for and you’re kind.” He looked down, cheeks flaming crimson as he uttered his next words quietly. “That’s one of the reasons why I like you so much.” You’d think Keiji would be used to the stray compliments Koutarou would give at random but to no avail. 

The tension in the air was palpable, Koutarou kept his eyes downcast in fear of the potential indifferent expression he’d receive to his confession. Keiji could feel the nervousness roll off his soulmate's body in waves; Koutarou was never good at hiding the way he felt after all. In a small, almost inaudible, voice Keiji found himself saying the only thought racing through his mind. “I like you too, Koutarou.”


	17. Chapter 17

“Mori, are you certain you can make it? It’s not a big deal if you can’t, I understand.” Keiji felt guilty about asking Yaku to meet; he knew the older man had his own classes and work to do. He felt burdensome as he pressed his phone to his ear hearing Yaku’s exaggerated sigh. “Keiji, if Lev’s driving doesn’t kill me first, I'm going to punch you for saying such nonsense.” Keiji heard Lev’s muffled protests and Yaku’s familiar laugh drift through his speaker triggering his own smile. “On a serious note though, we’re on our way. The twins said they’d meet us there, they’re bringing their boyfriends.” Yaku sang into the speaker, his excitement evident.

It had been over a month since Keiji had seen his best friend, he had to admit that he had begun feeling homesick. Despite texting Yaku daily and exchanging several short calls, Keiji couldn’t deny that it wasn’t the same as actually seeing him. They’d lived together for almost two years; it felt as though a massive part of his life was torn away when he left. On the outside, no-one would ever guess that he was anticipating the arrival of some of the most important people in his life. But internally, he could barely contain his elation.

“Text me when you get here.” Keiji heard Yaku agree before the line when silent. Placing his phone beside him, he continued submitting assignments, not wanting them to pull at his focus while out later that night. As he sat, tapping away at his keypad, loud banging at his door shattered the tranquility which had surrounded the room. “Akaashi, open up. Quickly.” Koutarou’s panicked voice came from the other side of the door causing Keiji to scramble out of bed, his mind fearing the worst. As soon as he swung the door open, he assessed Koutarou, trying to determine whether or not he had been injured. “Bokuto-san, what happened? Are you okay?” Keiji’s fussing was cut short as Koutarou steered him back inside the dorm room before shutting the door after himself. 

“Don’t get mad.” The initial shock which had raced through Keiji had run cold before being replaced by dread as he watched Koutarou shift from one foot to the other anxiously. With a sigh, he ran a hand through his hair and down his face. “I thought something happened to you.” Keiji tiredly trudged back to where he was previously sat beckoning Koutarou to follow him. “You were worried about me?” Koutarou stared at Keiji with adoration swimming in his eyes. The latter averted his gaze as he pulled his laptop toward him, looking for anything he could use to distract himself. Opting to evade the question, Keiji shifted the attention away from himself and towards Koutarou instead.

“What shouldn’t I get angry about exactly, Bokuto-san?” Koutarou’s tender gaze instantly filled with realization as he hurriedly explained. “I was talking to Kuroo about tonight, you know, about what we should do and where we should go.” Koutarou sat beside Keiji who turned his body and attention towards him. “So, while we were talking, Oikawa overheard us. He asked what we were talking about, and I explained and now he’s upset because he wasn’t invited. I’m sorry, Kaashi.” Koutarou whined as he buried his head in his hands. Keiji laughed quietly as he rubbed soothing circles on his soulmate’s lower back.

“Is that all? I thought it was going to be something bad.” Koutarou withdrew his head from his hands and looked at Keiji sadly. “It is bad, your friends are angry with you because of me.” Keiji’s words fell short as, yet again, someone pounded against his door. There was no doubt in his mind that he’d get a headache at this rate, his temples already throbbing slightly as the banging persisted. For the second time, Keiji flew out of his seated position eager to stop the incessant knocking. He’d most definitely receive noise complaints from the neighboring rooms later.

On the other side of the door stood a fuming Oikawa flanked by Kenma and Suga. Kenma stepped inside as soon as the door opened and Suga shot Keiji an apologetic look. Keiji stepped aside wordlessly as he ushered the remaining two men inside. “Firstly, how could you not tell us about this, and secondly, why did I have to hear about it from that idiot and the other one of all people?” Oikawa huffed angrily as he pointed at Koutarou who gave an offended scoff. Keiji closed his eyes while pinching the bridge of his nose as the two men began arguing, his headache had finally set in. “I didn’t think you guys would want to come; it's just dinner. I thought you’d probably have better plans for your weekend.” He spoke softly whilst addressing the men in the room; embarrassed at his assumption as he witnessed the wounded expressions everyone wore.

In all honesty, he truly believed that they all had better things to do. He hadn’t meant to offend anyone by not extending an invitation, he just didn’t want them to feel obligated. The room fell silent for a second before various protests were hurled at him. “Why would you think that? Of course we want to be there; we want to meet the people who are important to you because you’re important to us.” Suga’s words were like the calm in the storm; they managed to settle everyone and smooth over the tense atmosphere. “Plus, I don't know about everyone else, but my only other plans were to stay in with Kuroo and we do that all the time,” Kenma spoke while the other men nodded their heads in agreement. “We could just ask everyone to come with; Kuroo’s been coaching Bokuto on what to say for the past week so he’d definitely want to see how it goes.” Koutarou blanched at the words, his cheeks red as he avoided Keiji’s amused stare.

Keiji would save his teasing for another time, instead, he agreed to the addition to their previously modest dinner much to everyone's satisfaction. As they filed out of the small dorm room to prepare, Keiji’s heart swelled with happiness. He wasn’t terribly fond of being the center of attention, but just for tonight; he’d get used to it. 

Faster than expected, Keiji found himself standing beside Koutarou at the university entrance waiting for everyone to arrive. Koutarou looked as anxious as Keiji had felt when their positions were reversed. He really had no reason to be worried though, if Keiji’s friends had accepted him in all his stoic glory then they’d definitely get along with Koutarou. He was practically a magnet for people, at least, that’s what Keiji thought. “Bro, calm down. You’re making me nervous.” Kuroo laughed from beside Kenma while Koutarou whined before shuffling closer to Keiji. “I don’t want them to hate me.” He spoke in a whisper as he lowered his head to his soulmate’s ear. Keiji did the only thing he could think of to bring Koutarou some sort of comfort; he gently tugged Koutarou's hand into his own, opting not to speak in fear of stumbling over his words. He felt Koutarou’s fingers tighten around his own but refused to meet his eyes. 

Koutarou shifted his weight from side to side, an unmistakable sign of his nervousness, as he avoided the obvious teasing looks his friends flashed at him. Keiji’s free hand clenched and unclenched several times in an attempt to calm his trembling. He also made an active effort to drown out the cooing which had ensued from the men behind him. Thankfully, the mocking the two men were about to endure was cut short as headlights flashed before them. The bright light in stark contrast with the darkness which surrounded them had everyone shielding their eyes; Keiji swore he had gone blind for a second. Two cars pulled up and before anyone had time to process what was happening, car doors were flung open and gleeful shouts filled the air. The sound of running footsteps filled the quiet night air and Keiji was lifted into a hug surrounded by various pairs of arms.

“Kei-chan, we haven’t seen you in so long. You’re still so pretty.” Atsumu exclaimed as he drew back from the hug. “I’m happy to see you, Kei-chan, but I’m still mad that you left without telling us; all we got was a text.” Osamu frowned as he set Keiji to his feet but his eyes held the same excitement his brothers had. “Quit it, you two. Keiji, I've missed you.” Yaku lightly punched the two men before directing his attention back to Keiji and then towards the group which surrounded him. His eyes trailed along the various faces before settling on one he recognized. 

Koutarou stood directly behind Keiji, a slight frown on his face. He hated seeing other people touch his soulmate and despite knowing they were friends, he couldn’t soothe the jealousy which cried out. Unconsciously, he wrapped a hand around Keiji’s wrist pulling the shorter man flush against his chest. An unsuspecting Keiji let out a tiny yelp at the sudden action. There were a few beats of silence before Lev called out from the car he had just parked. “Mori, don’t just run away like that.” The towering man called out to his soulmate before placing a kiss on his forehead and meeting the group with a grin.

Koutarou faltered slightly but stood his ground still staring down the remaining two men. “Why did you have to run? I’m tired.” Another disembodied voice sounded before two figures emerged from the darkness. “Suna, Sakusa. It's good to see you again.” Akaashi spoke from his rooted position where Koutarou maintained a vice grip on his wrist. Suna offered a smile as he made his way over to Osamu who lifted an arm over the other's shoulder. Sakusa nodded his head in greeting before standing behind Atsumu, his hand splayed possessively across the latter’s waist.

Koutarou was now deathly embarrassed, he wasn’t aware that all of them had had partners. His grip on Keiji’s wrist went slack, but he remained close behind him maintaining physical contact. He had just made the biggest fool of himself; Keiji’s touch was the only thing bringing him comfort. “Guys, I want you to meet Koutarou. He’s my soulmate.” Keiji’s voice sliced through the tension as he craned his neck backward to meet Koutarou’s eyes which stared down at him. Koutarou looked away from Keiji to meet several pairs of analyzing eyes. “It’s nice to meet you all.” Koutarou bowed his head slightly in greeting, his voice wavering ever so slightly as he spoke. Before he registered what had happened, he was jerked into a hug of his own. 

“I can’t believe you’re Kei-chan’s soulmate, what took you so long?” Atsumu exclaimed jokingly as he freed Koutarou. “Kei-chan broke so many hearts waiting for you, never dated a single person since we’ve known him.” Osamu extended his hand in greeting but his words were aimed at Keiji who frowned while rolling his eyes as everyone snickered at his obvious annoyance. “Take care of Keiji, he deserves it.” Yaku stood beside the twins as he looked at Koutarou, seriousness shining in his hard eyes. Koutarou nodded determinately as he took hold of Keiji’s hand once more. 

“Now, who are the rest? Our Kei-chan finally made some new friends; I’m so proud.” Atsumu wiped at non-existent tears as he looked at the group that had previously been silent. With that said, introductions were in full swing. It took about an hour for everyone to get acquainted and for pleasantries to be exchanged but neither Koutarou nor Keiji seemed to mind. Koutarou enjoyed watching his soulmate smile as he spoke with his friends and Keiji reveled in the feeling of having all the most important people in his life together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, I started this exactly a month ago and it's almost done. Like, in another three chapters. :(


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I may have underestimated how many chapters this would take to finish but I'm still ending it after 20 chapters. With that said; sorry if it feels rushed, but on the brighter side, enjoy a couple of longer chapters! :)

The air was all but electrified, drunken shouts and laughter bounced around the confines of the restaurant they were in. Koutarou had never seen his soulmate look so happy. Keiji seemed to glow as he spoke animatedly with his friends. He was laughing, not his usual reserved laugh where he’d cover his face with the back of his hand, definitely not. He had his head tilted back as his shoulders shook and slight tears formed through his shut eyes. If Koutarou thought that the man before him was beautiful before, he currently believed Keiji was enchanting. He was able to captivate anyone, evident by the various heads which swiveled in the direction of their crowded table. As much as the attention the gorgeous man was attracting bothered Koutarou; he didn’t have the heart to drag Keiji away from his friends. Instead, he shifted in his seat, practically wrapping himself around the slender man in an attempt to hide him away from prying eyes.

He felt Keiji still as he placed his head on the former's shoulder. As quickly as his shoulders had tensed at the contact, they slackened. Keiji continued speaking with Yaku as Koutarou threw several sideways glances his way. His yearning looks had not gone unnoticed, at least, that’s what the faint rosy tint which dusted across Keiji’s cheeks told him. 

“When I come back home, we’ll definitely go.” Koutarou was drawn from his thoughts as Keiji spoke. At that moment; he realized that Keiji wouldn’t stick around forever. Keiji would inevitably have to go back to his own school, be surrounded by people who were absolute strangers to him. His life would go back to what it formerly was, void of Koutarou. Keiji instantly noticed the clenched fists which grabbed at the seat of his chair. With a feather-like touch, he stroked the pad of his thumb across the strained white knuckles willing them to relax.

“I’m here right now, so, don’t worry about the future.” Keiji’s voice drifted to Koutarou’s ears in a whisper loud enough for him alone to hear. The latter’s surprise was evident in the slight jolt he gave at the words. Koutarou let out a disheartened sigh as he nuzzled his head into Keiji’s neck. Unbeknownst to Koutarou, Keiji’s thoughts swam in dread of their own. The idea of leaving sent nauseous pangs to his gut. He wondered how the two of them would continue seeing one another. There was no doubt on his part that they’d carry on in pursuit of their relationship, but it would definitely be more difficult than they’d expect. Both men lived in different towns, went to different universities, they lived completely different lives after all.

As drinks flowed freely for the remainder of the night, inhibitions began to dwindle. Koutarou watched as an especially drunk Oikawa dragged an equally intoxicated Iwaizumi to the small dance floor the restaurant had reserved for performances. He watched as they swayed awkwardly to the beat of the music, stumbling over one another's feet in the process. Despite their graceless performance, both men smiled stupidly at one another. Their love was undeniable and Koutarou found himself anticipating the future where he shared that feeling with Keiji, though he didn’t think that that future was far off. 

“Would you like to dance?” Keiji wasn’t oblivious to the longing stares his soulmate had been giving the two men who continued dancing as though the world around them had disappeared. The question had caught Koutarou off guard; he wasn’t able to string together a coherent sentence and instead, opened and closed his mouth several times over. Keiji chuckled as he unwrapped himself from Koutarou’s arms. He held out an inviting hand as he stood before his seated soulmate. Koutarou stared at Keiji’s hand hesitantly before grasping it firmly. 

“This is probably a good time to tell you that I can’t dance.” His nervousness was met with an enduring smile and adoring eyes. “I’ll teach you.” Keiji’s words were quiet as if talking about a secret but the determination rang clear. Keiji led the dance, placing Koutarou’s hands around his waist as his own looped across the taller man's shoulders. Although nowhere near perfect, the two men swayed to the beat of the music. They would never know, but many of their friends had begun to stare. To the two soulmates, nothing in the world mattered more than the man before them at that moment. 

Keiji’s fingers toyed with the stray strands of hair in the nape of Koutarou’s neck whilst Koutarou gently squeezed his slim waist, thumbs drawing slow circles across his hip bones. The moment in itself was by far the most intimate the two had ever shared, but the tipping of the scale had most definitely in the hesitant way Koutarou’s eyes flitted between Keiji’s eyes to his lips. With liquid courage raging through his veins and his soulmate's familiar cologne clouding his judgment, Keiji gently tugged at Koutarou’s neck until their faces were level. He gave Koutarou enough time to pull away, but he remained rooted, his lips an inch from Keiji’s. That was all the permission Keiji needed before he closed the distance, their lips dancing in unison with their swaying bodies. 

Despite Keiji initiating the kiss, Koutarou had quickly taken the lead. He pulled Keiji flush against his body, erasing the limited space which had previously divided them. The feeling of Keiji’s lips pressed against his didn’t feel like the fireworks he’d heard people talk about. Instead, they felt like their quiet mornings spent sipping at coffee. They felt like the comfort of his favorite blanket during the first snowfall. They felt like a home he didn’t know he was looking for. Keiji’s lips were soft and stained with sweetness from the cocktails he’d had throughout the night. They contrasted Koutarou’s own, which were bitter with the taste of whiskey. 

Koutarou pulled away first, placing his forehead against Keiji’s. He opened his eyes to meet Keiji’s awaiting ones. It felt as though he was being sucked in by those vibrant irises and to no-one’s surprise, he didn’t resist. If Koutarou had it his way, he’d have their bodies merge so they’d never have to be apart. As the roaring of blood rushing in his ears seemed to calm a different sort of roaring followed. All their friends, who were previously seated, were now crowded around the dance floor surrounding the two soulmates. They cheered and clapped as the two men pulled away from one another. Both of them turned scarlet at the various calls and shouts which ranged from enduring to borderline explicit, courtesy of Kuroo.

“Who would have guessed Keiji would make the first move? I’m a bit disappointed in you, bro.” The raven-haired man howled as he slapped Koutarou’s back harshly. If he wasn’t embarrassed enough, that had definitely sent him over the edge. “Come on, let me buy you another drink. Don’t worry the others will keep him company.” Koutarou looked wearily between Kuroo and Keiji who was swarmed by his overly eager friends. Once their eyes met, Koutarou silently asked permission to leave. Keiji nodded with a gentle smile before going back to the group which was pulling at his attention.

Koutarou followed Kuroo to the bar silently before sinking into one of the counter stools. Regardless of the crowded restaurant, he was able to pick Keiji out effortlessly. His soulmate had gone back to their table and was visibly embarrassed by the conversation around him as he hid his face in his hands. A small smile played on his lips as Koutarou witnessed the scene before him. “I’ve never seen you look at anyone the way you look at him.” Kuroo’s words were sobering despite the drink he pushed Koutarou’s way. Bringing the glass to his lips, Koutarou smiled over the rim. “I’ve never had a reason to.” Both men drank as they continued talking about the latest milestone which had just been achieved in Koutarou’s relationship.

After a few more drinks with his best friend, Koutarou became restless. He wanted to be with Keiji; he wanted to be at his side for as long as possible. Throwing a halfhearted excuse over his shoulder at a yelling Kuroo, Koutarou began his journey back towards the table they had once occupied. To his disappointment, he wasn’t able to find his soulmate’s face among the various ones which surrounded the table. He frowned as he tapped Suga’s shoulder who had been talking to Yaku. “Where did Keiji go? Is he in the bathroom?” The worry was evident in his voice as his eyes flitted across the restaurant towards the bathroom then back again. “He said he was going to get air, Oikawa kept embarrassing him.” Suga laughed slightly as he glanced at Oikawa who stuck his tongue out in a teasing manner. Koutarou frowned slightly at the thought of Keiji being alone outside at night, he would soon learn his worries were not without reason.

Keiji had stepped outside for a second; his head was spinning. He wasn’t sure whether it was due to the countless drinks he had consumed or the feeling of Koutarou’s lips which he could still feel like a ghostly presence. As Keiji traced his fingers across his lips, he couldn't fight off the grin which stretched across his face.

"You look better when you smile." His once smiling lips were instantly pulled into their usual neutral expression as he turned to face a man he didn't recognize. There was nothing significant about him; he was around Keiji's weight and built. With the light streaming through the restaurant window, Keiji was able to see the dark brown curls atop his head. As Keiji stared at the man, he concluded that the alcohol was indeed the reason his head was spinning. His sight teetered in and out of focus causing the man's facial features to blur. 

"What? Not going to say anything?" The stranger scoffed as he fished a lighter from his pocket before lighting the cigarette which dangled from his teeth. Contrary to popular belief, Keiji wasn't weak. How could he have been when the majority of his life was spent doing extracurricular activities and sports? Rather, Keiji refused to resort to any form of violence unless he felt threatened. That feeling was slowly creeping up on him as he watched the unknown man take a step closer. It hadn't been the first time in his life where something like this had happened, and he was sure it wouldn't be the last. He stood his ground unwavering; he wouldn't give this strange man the satisfaction of thinking he was scared.

"Come on, this is no fun. You're not even going to fight back? No shouting? Nothing?" The man joked as he stepped in front of Keiji. He pushed at the latter's shoulders; the shove wasn't strong enough to push Keiji over but it had caused him to take a step back. With the newfound distance and reason enough to claim self-defense if the incident was taken any further, Keiji drew his fist backward ready to send it flying into the man's highly punchable face. However, he hadn't gotten a chance to make contact. The man was pulled back by the collar of his shirt, causing him to let out a strangled choking sound.

There was a flurry of movements that Keiji's alcohol-soaked brain wasn't able to register but he was certain of two things; firstly, the unmistakable sound of skin meeting skin which filled the silent street. And secondly, the color red which covered the pavement. Saying that Koutarou was angry was an understatement. He was livid, he had gone in search of his soulmate only to find him being harassed by some strange man who even had the audacity to lay his hands on Keiji. 

His angered thoughts fueled his relentless strikes as he drove fist after fist into whichever opening he could find. He could hear sickening cracks ring out into the still night. He wasn't sure whether the sound had come from his knuckles or the man who was presently struggling to stand. "Koutarou! Stop, it's okay! Look, I'm okay!" He could only explain what he was experiencing as tunnel vision, he could hear Keiji but all he could see was the man swaying before him. Koutarou struck him again, there was no way he'd allow the man to walk away. If he was going to escape, he was to do so on his knees.

Koutarou could feel arms wrap around his torso but he fought against them. Keiji was struggling against the strength of his soulmate; he knew he couldn't hold on to him for long. "Go! What are you doing? Get up!" He shouted at the man who had previously attempted to assault him. His own anger at the situation long since dissipated and now replaced with a fear of what Koutarou would do next. "I can't." The two words were choked out around blood and heavy wheezing.

"Kuroo! Help me!" Keiji recognized their group of friends who had joined the forming crowd outside the restaurant, intrigued by the sudden commotion. As soon as they had registered the situation, it hadn't taken long before Kuroo, Iwaizumi and Daich were dragging Koutarou away. He struggled against their grips, wholeheartedly wanting to finish off what he had started but was at a disadvantage against the three men. 

"Keiji, are you okay? Did he hurt you?" Atsumu looked at the man on the ground and then at Keiji, his eyes searching for injuries. "I'm fine, he didn't get the chance. Can someone please call an ambulance?" Suga was the first to pull out his phone, dialing a number before pressing it to his ear. 

The night was going so well, how did it turn into this? Keiji watched as the battered man was loaded into the ambulance. And as immoral as the decision felt, the group found it best to leave before police arrived to ask questions. "Yaku, I think it's best if you and the twins leave. I don't want you guys involved in any of this." Keiji stared at Yaku sadly who looked as though he was about to put up a fight but decided against it. "Can you guys get home safely?" Yaku nodded. "Lev and Samu didn't drink." His voice was faint as opposed to his usual booming shouts. 

Nodding silently, Keiji watched as half of their group loaded themselves into the two cars which had pulled up earlier that night. "We'll see you again, Kei-chan. Don't look so sad." Osamu called from the driver's side window as he pulled away from the pavement. Keiji watched as the silhouettes of the cars drove further and further until they were out of sight. It was presumably due to the shock, but his body had begun trembling and wouldn't stop. 

As he turned to make his way back through the university entrance, he was faced with the outstretched arms of the three remaining men. Wordlessly, he walked onward into their embrace. "I want to see Koutarou." His voice was whispered but the suddenly stilled hands which had previously rubbed comforting circles on his back indicated they had heard him. "I don't think that's a good idea. When Bokuto is angry, it's best to leave him be, let's go back to our room. I'll send Kuroo a message, he’ll look after him." Keiji could sense there was no room for debate on the topic. Suga and Oikawa evaded his pleading eyes and instead left it up to Kenma to convince him. 

With a defeated sigh, Keiji allowed himself to be tugged back to their dorm room. That night, the four men had opted to stay together. Kenma had kept his word when he said he'd have Kuroo take care of Koutarou. He, Daichi, and Iwaizumi stayed with Koutarou as the others had chosen to stay with Keiji. It wasn't much of a surprise, but sleep hadn't found Keiji easily that night. His worries rampaged through his mind and the sole person who was capable of soothing them wasn't there.


	19. Chapter 19

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so, I lied about ending this after 20 chapters. :| This chapter initially when over 12 pages and there was just too much happening so I divided it into separate shorter chapters. But, I'll be posting them all in one go so I hope that makes up for the length! :)

Something was definitely wrong. The remainder of Keiji’s weekend had been quiet; since he had arrived at the university, his weekends had never been quiet. Koutarou wasn’t answering any of his messages; they’d all been read but not a single response. Kenma, Oikawa, and Suga had also begun acting strangely. They refused to allow Keiji out of their sight, he wasn’t so much as permitted to step out of his dorm room to eat meals. The three men alternated between who would run his errands and despite the sentiment being appreciated, Keiji felt as though he was suffocating. The doting behavior his friends had displayed carried on into the following week as Keiji was getting ready for his classes.

“Keiji, why don’t you skip class today? This weekend must have been a lot to deal with, take a few days off.” Despite Oikawa’s level voice, Keiji could sense the nervousness behind his shifting eyes as he glanced at Kenma and Suga for reinforcement. The other two men nodded in agreement as Keiji frowned. He was grateful towards the men for their help but he wanted to see his soulmate. Keiji had decided he’d visit Koutarou that morning as the latter had formerly done. He wanted to sit down for breakfast with his soulmate as they had habitually done up until this point. He wanted to ask why his messages were being ignored. He wanted to assure Koutarou that he was neither angry at him nor afraid of him. The fact that his soulmate had suddenly begun avoiding him hadn’t sat well with Keiji. The thought plagued his mind, and he wanted the constant negative thoughts to finally cease. The sole way that would happen was if he spoke with Koutarou.

“I appreciate the concern; I do, but I’m fine. I’ve got class soon; I’ll be leaving first.” Keiji spoke over his shoulder as he grabbed his bag and keys. He gave one last fleeting look backward at the men who huddled together before tugging at the door handle and stepping out into the hallway. “We should have told him.” As Keiji pulled the door closed behind him, he heard the remnants of a heated yet whispered argument. Confusion settled between his knitted brows as he made his way to Koutarou’s room. 

The hallways were empty as they customarily were in the early hours of the morning. Keiji’s soft steps ricocheted off the narrow confines as he approached Koutarou’s dorm. As he knocked, he heard shuffling on the other side of the shut door. When the door finally swung open, instead of the grinning face of his soulmate Keiji had anticipated, he was confronted by a confused Kuroo. “Keiji, why are you here?” His words were hushed as he glanced back into the room before joining Keiji in the hallway. He pulled the door shut behind him as he stared at Keiji quizzically. Keiji didn’t know what puzzled him more, the question Kuroo had asked or his uncharacteristic behavior. He was being extremely reserved, it was unsettling, especially coming from him.

“What do you mean? I’m here for Koutarou; he’s been ignoring my messages all weekend.” Kuroo stared at Keiji with skepticism swimming in his dusky eyes, Keiji met his gaze unwaveringly. The air which surrounded the two men had grown tense, neither of them willing to back down. Eventually, Kuroo let out an exasperated sigh as he ran a hand through his already disheveled hair. “They didn’t tell you, did they?” If there was one thing Keiji detested more than anything, it was the helplessness he felt at that moment. He wasn’t used to it and it most certainly wasn’t welcomed. “Tell me what?” He managed to choke out the words as Kuroo sifted through his pockets before drawing his phone out. 

Keiji waited patiently as the taller man tapped at the screen before thrusting the phone towards him. Keiji hesitantly seized the phone into his hands; the screen had been dark before various flashes went off. It was a video; the camera was tilted and shook slightly before coming into focus. The contents of the video made him feel as though someone had injected ice water into his veins. No matter how many times Keiji blinked, willing his eyes to snap out of whatever hallucination he was experiencing, he couldn’t deny what he was witnessing.

He watched the events of the night at the restaurant from a bystander's perspective, and it didn’t look good. The video hadn’t conveyed how the man had harassed him, it didn’t show how he had been manhandled. It showed nothing but Koutarou driving fist after relentless fist at a supposed defenseless man who cowered on the ground. Keiji had unknowingly begun trembling as he watched the remainder of the video. It had finally cut off as he watched himself pull his soulmate away from the fight, or rather, the one-sided assault. 

“It spread around campus.” Keiji’s attention was quickly redirected to Kuroo who looked at him with a somber expression. “You and I know what happened but the video shows otherwise, other people won’t believe us even if we tried.” Kuroo’s statement caused Keiji’s firsts to clench and anger to bubble within him. He wasn’t certain why he was angry or at who; maybe the man from the restaurant, himself, or the people who had captured the video. It didn’t matter though, he was determined to clear his soulmate's name.

“We’ll make them believe us, I’ll tell everyone what really happened. I’ll tell them all that Koutarou was defending me. I’ll find the person who spread the video and make them explain.” Kuroo let out a defeated sigh as he gravely shook his head. Keiji paused his disarranged rambling as he stared at the man before him with pleading eyes. “Keiji, Koutarou's been suspended.” Those were the words that effectively shattered Keiji’s world. He couldn’t compose thoughts let alone words. There was only a high-pitched whistling which screeched in his ear as if a grenade had just gone off beside him. 

“Stuff like this travels fast, the school board found out. He put a guy in the hospital, Keiji, it would have been a miracle if they hadn’t found out.” Keiji’s eyes stung and his throat had closed up, he was finding it difficult to breathe. “Can I please see him?” He wasn’t certain as to what he’d be able to do or say in the situation he found himself in, everything was his fault. If he hadn’t gone outside that night, none of this would have happened. They would have gone back to the university that night hand in hand; they would have woken up the next morning, shared breakfast together, and carried out their routine as per usual. Why did he have to go out alone that night? 

Kuroo directed another hesitant look towards the shut door he was currently guarding, the action caused Keiji to shrink back into himself. “You can, but I’m not quite sure how it’ll go. Koutarou’s suspension canceled his application to the Volleyball League. He’s in terrible shape.” If Keiji’s heart wasn’t already broken, it was now. He had no idea that Koutarou had applied, all of this was news to him. He tried his best to maintain his composure, but he wasn’t deceiving anyone. Kuroo provided a sympathetic look as he stepped aside from the door. “I’ll wait outside.” Keiji nodded absentmindedly as he examined the door before him.

With a deep breath, Keiji found himself reaching towards the door handle. The room was void of any light, all the curtains were drawn shut. It was untidier than the last time Keiji had visited, but this time, the mess wasn’t contained. A broken picture frame and the remnants of a chair were scattered in one corner of the room. A few garments of torn clothing littered the floor. The sight made Keiji wince, it looked as though a herd of untamed animals had run through the small room, demolishing everything in their path. His wide eyes softened as he shifted his attention away from the mess and towards the heap of blankets which undoubtedly hid his soulmate.

Keiji approached cautiously; he settled at the foot of the bed as he watched Koutarou stir slightly from under the covers. Silvered hair poked out slightly causing his heart to skip a beat. With a delicate touch, Keiji withdrew the blanket anticipating Koutarou’s tear-stained face. To his greatest surprise, he was confronted by impassivity. Koutarou’s eyes lacked their usual warmth, his golden orbs dulled to a near mud-like brown. He wasn’t frowning, much to Keiji’s relief, but his face was vacant of even a semblance of his characteristic grin. He didn’t look dejected, he looked desolate. And in Keiji’s opinion, at least, that was far worse.

“You haven’t been returning my messages.” Keiji winced at his terrible choice of a conversation starter. He wasn’t entirely sure where he was supposed to start so he had gone with the first thing that had come to mind. “Yeah, I haven’t gotten around to that.” Koutarou laughed but his tone was anything but humorous, if anything, it was sarcastic. Keiji frowned but ultimately chose not to comment on this fact; he’d let Koutarou take his frustrations out on him if it would make his soulmate feel better.

“Why didn’t you tell me about the Volleyball League?” At the moment, Koutarou sprung into a seated position, startling Keiji in the process. It could have been his imagination, but for a second, Keiji swore Koutarou’s eyes had softened as they looked at him. “I applied at the beginning of the year before I met you.” Even if Keiji chose to disregard it, the malice behind Koutarou’s words was apparent. Keiji swallowed audibly, attempting to regain the moisture in his mouth which had run dry. 

“God, I’ve worked so hard. Years, Akaashi, I’ve put in years. This was my dream. It only took one person to ruin it.” Koutarou's voice cracked, his eyes slowly forming tears causing Keiji’s heart to squeeze uncomfortably in his chest. Keiji cupped his hand around one of Koutarou’s cheeks using his thumb to swipe at a stray tear that had fallen.

“Don’t cry, please. We’ll find the person who spread the video, we can fix it.” Koutarou averted his gaze as he let his next words tumble past his lips. “I’m not talking about them.” Keiji paused, the hand he once used to wipe at Koutarou’s tears promptly ceasing its action. Had he understood that correctly? Did his soulmate believe he was at fault too? The silence which surrounded the two men was deafening, Keiji withdrew his hand from Koutarou’s cheek as he stared ahead. Neither man dared look at the other, Keiji felt as though he would burst into tears at any given moment and guilt had begun gnawing at Koutarou’s conscience. 

“I see.” with that said, Keiji lifted himself from the bed. He paused on his way to the door as if contemplating whether to stay or go, he opted for the latter. Koutarou finally lifted his gaze to look at the retreating back of his soulmate. He wanted to call out, say something, but it was as though he’d gone mute. His voice had abandoned him and now, so had Keiji. Without so much as a second glance backward, Keiji exited the room leaving Koutarou alone in his sorrow.


	20. Chapter 20

The air within Koutarou’s room felt as though it had smothered him, but in the hallway, Keiji was finally able to breathe again. He placed his hands on his knees as he doubled over, inflating his lungs with as much air as he could manage. “Are you okay?” Kuroo made his way over to Keiji who slumped against the wall but was stopped by an outstretched hand. Keiji continued heaving as Kuroo watched on in worry. Once he had somewhat regained his composure, Keiji looked up through watery eyes to find Kuroo already looking at him. He offered a shaky smile which was anything but reassuring.

“I’m fine.” Keiji’s words were choked, it didn’t even sound like his voice. He ignored the concerned expression Kuroo wore and instead, straightened himself out. He tugged at his collar, pulled at the hem of his sweater, and patted his pants down. As if fixing his disheveled appearance would somehow pull his crumbling resolve together again. “Excuse me.” Keiji walked away as the taller man called out to him. He heard a door slam and shouting before he turned the corner leading away from the dormitories.

He knew he shouldn’t take Koutarou’s words to heart, they were stated in anger. Keiji knew Koutarou hadn’t meant it, or, so he tried convincing himself. It would all be fine; he’d attend his classes, allow Koutarou some time to cool down, and then he’d try once more. He was determined to try again. Despite his obviously flushed face and glassy eyes, Keiji made his way to his first class. He ignored the various stares he received as he made his way inside the class, navigating his way to a vacant seat. He couldn’t be certain whether the stares were the reaction to his undoubtedly shocking appearance or the video which had spread without his knowledge.

The surrounding whispers he thought he had grown accustomed to were unsurprisingly louder that morning. His classmates made an active effort to avoid any seats surrounding the one he occupied, but it hadn’t fazed Keiji much. His thoughts were preoccupied after all. Keiji was so distracted, the person who had taken a seat beside him had nearly gone unnoticed by him. His attention only snapping in their direction once they spoke.

“Didn’t I tell you that your upperclassmen could make university life difficult for you if you didn’t respect them? Do you see that now?” Konoha stretched backward in his seat, arms crossed over his chest smugly. Keiji spared a glance towards the man only for the sake of getting him to leave faster. “Though I didn’t think it would end up like this; you were actually the intended target but this is even better.” It felt as though his ears were playing tricks on him. Konoha had definitely confessed to being the reason behind the attack, but he laughed as though he had just told the most hilarious joke. The sound made Keiji’s skin crawl. It was him? He was responsible for the video? Keiji tensed at the thought as he finally directed his utmost attention towards Konoha.

“He was supposed to rough you up a bit. You know, a few bruises, maybe a black eye.” Konoha’s tone was humorous and teasing, Keiji’s usually non-existent temper rose at an alarming rate. The man before him could have possibly ruined someone's life, someone Keiji held dear, how could he act so dismissively? As if he found no faults in his actions? Konoha only laughed louder in response to Keiji's clenching fists, his humorous expression antagonized Keiji further. "Do you know how much extra I had to pay that guy? I wasn't expecting that soulmate of yours to come outside so quickly, he's got it bad."

Konoha was laughing, his chest vibrating as he did so. He was enjoying the agony he had caused, he was soaking it up. The thought made Keiji angrier than he had ever been in his entire life. He was trembling again but this time, it was out of pure adrenaline. His veins protruded across his hands as he tried taming the flames which licked at his self-control. Konoha enjoyed every second of what he assumed to be Keiji's spirit collapsing. He thought it was too good to be true, not only was he finally able to knock Koutarou off his shiny pedestal but the reaction he was getting from Keiji was the cherry on top of the entire situation. However, his satisfaction would soon fall flat.

Konoha wouldn’t know this but it had already been established that Keiji wasn't against the idea of using violence because he was a gentle person. He didn't resort to violence purely in situations where he felt threatened to spare himself the internal conflict of right and wrong. Rather, his thoughts on when he'd allow himself to use violence stemmed from an uncertainty he had. He was uncertain as to whether he'd be able to hold himself back once he started. Keiji had a lot of pent-up frustration, after all, and with good reason. Konoha, however, was unenlightened when it came to those facts. He’d taken one look at Keiji and instantly drew the conclusion that even if the aforementioned were to try something, he wouldn’t get very far. What could a pretty boy like himself do anyway?

When it came to emotions; Keiji wasn't the best at expressing them, whether they were good or bad. The bad emotions almost always manifested themselves into a bundle of frustration, anger, and discontentment. They would eventually, and ferociously, implode causing a violent outbreak. That was why Keiji opted to steer clear of confrontation, he could never be sure how he’d react. Keiji could feel it; he felt his blood pressure rise and his heart rate accelerate. His nerve endings were on fire; he could feel every muscle in his body contract and every bead of sweat that rolled down his temple. He was hyper-aware of his surroundings now, fluttering pages sounded like hurricanes and the screeching of chairs felt like earthquakes.

"Well, I think you've learned your lesson. Be sure to show some more respect next time." Konoha was daring enough to send a wink Keiji's way. The space between the two men was limited, Keiji couldn't deliver a proper punch even if he wanted to. The best that would come out of that situation was a light tap of his knuckles against Konoha’s cheek who could possibly even dodge it. Keiji wanted to do more, he wanted to hurt Konoha as much as he’d hurt Koutarou and if he was fortunate, even more than that. With the limited options he was dealt, Keiji settled for the best option he was confident would cause damage; he propelled his head forward effectively connecting his forehead with Konoha's nose. A dreadful crunching filled Keiji's ears followed by the sound of various screams. Konoha shot out of his seat, his chair falling backward in the process, hands curled around his undoubtedly fractured nose. Blood dripped through his fingers as he cursed. Suddenly, he wasn’t feeling as confident as he initially had.

Keiji followed his movements, rising from his chair and circling the desk he had previously been seated at. He stalked closer towards the man before him as though he was hunting for prey. He was certain that was how he looked as he took in Konoha’s fearful expression. There was something unnerving about quiet, timid people like Keiji losing control. They never completely lost their composure; the calm nature of their offense would always be more bone-chilling than any rage-induced rampage. The lecture theater was in full-blown chaos; students were shouting as they stumbled over one another to get out of the class, but Keiji didn't care for them. He had his sights set on one particular person, and he'd be damned if he allowed him to get away.

At that moment, with fear curling its sickly hands taut around his throat, Konoha had recognized his initial mistake; he had underestimated Keiji. His second mistake would strike him as Keiji sailed a clenched fist into the side of his head; he messed with someone of greater importance than he had realized. Keiji had barely managed to land that one punch before he was held back. He didn't struggle, his fight was with no-one other than Konoha. He glared at the man before him, venom spilling from the look alone. His blazing expression was received with feebleness, Konoha recoiled as if he had just been burnt.

"What's gotten into you? Stop it, this second!" The professor had finally arrived, Keiji winced slightly at the pointed look he had been served. "You, out. Get to the washroom or infirmary or something." The professor ordered Konoha out of the classroom as he noticed the blood which was still steadily gushing. Konoha’s eyes left Keiji’s for a split second before snapping back promptly as if anticipating Keiji to charge at him the moment he let his guard down. He kept his eyes glued to Keiji as he was ushered out of the room.

With Konoha gone, so were Keiji's murderous impulses. He had gone limp in the grip of his classmates who hesitantly stepped away at the surrender. Instead of anger, shame settled in the pit of his stomach as he locked eyes with his disappointed professor. It wasn't as though he hadn’t possessed a reason for what he had done but Keiji had to admit; he could have undertaken the situation with more grace than he had showcased. He could have at least waited until the lecture was over but his anger had gotten the better of him.

"Keiji, I want you back here at the end of the day. We have much to discuss." With his professor's final words, Keiji was promptly kicked out for the remainder of the lecture. He screwed up, he was consciously aware of that fact. But regardless of the potential consequences, he didn't regret a single decision he had made. He wouldn't allow Koutarou to bear the burden alone; as Koutarou had defended him that night, Keiji would protect him this time around. It didn't take much thought as to what would happen to him. If Koutarou had been suspended for a fight that hadn't even happened on university grounds, there wasn't much hope for his own situation.

With a clear enough idea as to what would become of him following the unmistakable chastisement he would receive at the end of the day; Keiji opted to abandon the remainder of his classes. They wouldn't do him any good; he wouldn't be needing them anymore.


	21. Chapter 21

Keiji stood before Takeda sensei who glowered at him from over the frames of his glasses. The atmosphere was rigid, neither man spoke. Keiji wasn’t sure what he was supposed to say, he would undoubtedly apologize but he wasn’t remorseful in the slightest. The apology would definitely be out of courtesy rather than authenticity. It felt as though hours passed as the two men stared the other down. Reluctantly, Keiji took the first step in initiating the conversation he was ordered to have.

“Takeda Sensei, I deeply apologize for my actions. I was out of line; I’ll accept any punishment you see fit.” Keiji bowed his head as a sign of respect but his flat tone indicated no such thing. It was to be expected, in Takeda’s eyes, the man before him didn’t look the slightest bit apologetic. Instead of stating the obvious by pointing out Keiji’s mediocre attempt at sounding sincere, Takeda slammed a stack of bound pages on the desk beside Keiji. The sound was harsh in the empty lecture hall, causing an echo to resonate and Keiji to flinch slightly in his bowed position. “Your Modern Literature professor gave me that, it's not bad. Actually, it's brilliant.” His voice raised slightly and Keiji was confused as to whether he was receiving praise or chastisement.

Keiji raised his head slightly to notice the stack of pages had actually been his semester assignment for his Modern Literature course, the assignment he had dedicated to Koutarou. The following words which came from Takeda sensei’s lips made Keiji’s mouth run dry and caused his heart to stop momentarily. “A friend of mine is an editor; I sent it to him as a manuscript under your name.” This couldn’t actually be happening, there was no possible way. Keiji glanced between the stack of pages on the table and his professor as he choked on his words, unable to speak.

“This was supposed to be a celebratory day, Keiji. Why did you do that?” The harsh edge to Takeda’s words smoothed over slightly. He looked at Keiji desperately as he tried making sense of the situation. Keiji frowned, averting his eyes from his professor's pleading gaze. Alternatively, he maintained a locked stare on the familiar words sprawled across the stack of paper. “He hurt someone I care about.” His voice was a whisper as he trailed his fingers across the binding of the pages. He refused to delve further into the topic, and Takeda could sense there was no chance he’d be able to get through to Keiji. 

“You are aware of what I have to do now, right?” Takeda removed his glasses before dragging a hand down his face. The usually youthful professor seemed to age as his frown deepened. Keiji had expected this; it wasn’t a surprise. Steeling his expression, Keiji awaited Takeda's next words. “You’re not one of our students, but you are the Literature Departments' responsibility for the duration of your stay.” Keiji didn’t dare take his eyes off the desk; he now knew how Koutarou had felt.

“As a department, we have decided that we will not tolerate any student violence.” The rest of Takeda’s words fell on deaf ears. Keiji had tuned out of the conversation, the consequences of his actions apparent. He didn’t require further verbal confirmation of his fate. He stayed rooted as his professor continued lecturing him but remained unresponsive. Keiji allowed himself to be reprimanded, he was deserving of it after all. When the professor had finally said his piece, he dismissed Keiji with a flick of his wrist. In terms of Keiji’s reaction to the situation, there weren’t remarkably many available to him. 

The outcome wasn’t unexpected, so he couldn’t be surprised. Despite the outcome being morally unjust, it wasn’t further investigated and Konoha would ultimately get away with what he had done, it was sensible. Any way he looked at it, the outcome was inevitable. He wasn’t a student, after all, no-one suffered from his departure. The thought made Keiji’s blood run cold. Would Koutarou long to see him? Despite the foolishness he experienced in the face of his doubt, Keiji couldn’t shake the feeling. The last conversion the soulmates had had wasn’t exactly something that put his mind at ease either.

Keiji hesitantly lifted the stack of papers from the table, hugging them tightly against his chest. The professor had already begun making his way out of the lecture theatre leaving Keiji alone to stew in his thoughts. 

He wanted to see Koutarou, but he knew that his presence wouldn’t be appreciated. His heart yearned to see the face of his soulmate, the person he had met with earlier that day wasn’t him. Keiji hadn’t realized how much he had come to rely on those golden eyes or that blinding smile. As he stood in the vacant lecture room, he couldn’t help but feel as though his life had been stripped of all its color as he recalled the empty stare Koutarou had given him. He knew that he was probably overreacting, but his feelings were raw and he couldn’t stop the pained feeling which struck his gut at the thought of leaving his soulmate.

The pages Keiji clung to crinkled slightly as his fingers gripped at them. He would visit Koutarou one last time before he’d be forced to leave, he prayed his soulmate would allow him to. As he made his way to the dormitories, he felt nervousness set in with each step he took. He allowed his feet to move on their own accord, his muscle memory taking over as he set out in search of his soulmate. He knew that if he thought about the visit too much, he’d most definitely over-analyze the risks and end up not going. 

As he had predicted, his thoughts had gotten the better of him. He had arrived outside Koutarou’s door but no matter how many times he raised his fist to knock, he couldn’t go through with it. It was frustrating; the helplessness he was feeling because of a shut door. Keiji was sure he looked deranged, at least, that's what all the sideways glances he was receiving told him. He slid down the adjacent wall as he continued to stare at the door. He couldn’t help but feel as though the door represented the physical manifestation of the current issue between the two of them; pride.

Neither man wanted to approach the door first; both in fear of what lay beyond. Keiji feared that on the other side, Koutarou would denounce him as his soulmate. Koutarou felt as though he’d lost everything already, Keiji included, he was skeptical of the world which would surround him now. About half an hour had passed and Keiji remained seated outside Koutarou’s door. His legs had since fallen asleep, and his back would undoubtedly have a knot the next morning due to his uncomfortable position.

Keiji heard the sound of a lock click before the door swung open and he was greeted by a pair of jean-clad legs. “Keiji, what are you doing on the floor?” Keiji looked up to meet Kouroo’s worried gaze. He spoke quietly as he shut the door behind him. Keiji rose from his seated position on the floor with the help of an outstretched hand from Kuroo. “Are you okay? Bo told me about this morning when you came around. He didn’t mean it, Keiji.” Kuroo’s words had driven a stabbing pain to Keiji’s heart; he wanted to hear that from Koutarou. Keiji frowned slightly as he steadied himself, still clutching the stack of papers against his chest.

“It’s nothing; I just wanted to see Koutarou.” Kuroo stared at Keiji in confusion but decided against questioning him any further. Instead, Kuroo stepped aside as he had done earlier that day and ushered Keiji inside the room. With a slight nod of his head, Keiji ducked into the room. Nothing had changed from earlier, not that he had expected it to, Koutarou was still huddled under a mountain of covers. Keiji didn’t take a seat as he had previously done, alternatively, he stood at the small makeshift countertop.

“Bokuto-san, it’s me.” Keiji watched as Koutarou flinched from under the blankets. “Don’t worry, I’m not staying long, I understand you don’t want that.” But he did, he wanted Keiji to stay. Koutarou wanted to storm up to Keiji, take his hand, and never let it go. That’s what he wanted to do, but the sadness in Keiji’s voice prevented him from doing so. He was the reason behind that sadness; he had no right to act selfishly and whimsically as he always had. 

“I came to give you something; I’ll leave it here.” Koutarou heard Keiji’s voice, thick with tears causing his own eyes to sting. He never wanted to see Keiji cry, he had told him that the first time they had officially met, and yet there he was; the reason for Keiji’s tears. “You don’t have to look at it, I just thought I’d leave you with something. When you’re ready, come find me again.” With that said, Koutarou heard Keiji place something down before the unmistakable opening and closing of a door sounded and he was left alone again.

In the hallway, Keiji was surprised to find Kuroo waiting for him. After what happened that morning, Kuroo hadn’t felt right leaving until Keiji had come back outside. As Keiji exited, Kuroo noted he didn’t look as shaken up as he had previously. Keiji met Kuroo’s apprehensive stare with a faint smile. “Take care of him for me.” He walked away for the second time that day but this time, it felt as though he would never come back.


	22. Chapter 22

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next chapter is officially the last, wow. :(

“Dear Koutarou, 

If you’re reading this, it means that I finally gained enough courage to share it with you, please be kind in your criticisms. I’ve written many things in my life, but I find letters especially challenging, possibly because they’re a reflection of my own feelings and I can’t gloss over them. Regardless, bear with me; I hope you can do that.

I suppose this would come as a surprise to you; you may even feel slightly disturbed. I apologize if those are your feelings. I’d understand if they were; I handed over what could only be described as an entire book practically enshrining you. It only just struck me how predatory that may come across as. Despite that, I wonder how you actually felt about it. Were you truly disturbed or had it been received as flattery? By god, I pray for the latter.

I hope you won’t regard this as an obligatory assignment. I understand that it may come across as just that, but I'd like to stress the fact that we had been left to our own devices when it came to subject matter. I agonized over the subject matter for much longer than I care to admit, I found myself unable to write anything unless it was about you. And so, your immortalization on these sheets of paper came about.

I’m not entirely sure why I decided to attach this letter, as if thirty other pages weren’t enough, but I did. Let’s say I included this with the purpose of reflecting, I believe it’s a fitting excuse. I find myself doing that a lot; finding excuses. I find excuses to write about you, talk to you, be with you. I’m aware I don’t necessarily need one, you are mine and I am yours after all, but the idea of us is still so inconceivable. I’ve waited for you for a long time; we all move at our own pace so I don’t hold you accountable for that, sometimes it feels as though we aren’t real. As if one day, I’ll wake up and you won’t be beside me or you’ll forget me. Do you feel that way too sometimes or am I being irrational?

I remember the time before you entered my life vividly. I found myself missing you when we hadn’t even met. If we had known one another back then, you would have thought I was crazy. I found myself needing someone I didn’t know and I would find myself praying, wishing, and hoping that you would find me whenever I wound up in a situation I couldn’t control. I’d imagine you flying in like some sort of superhero or one of those princes on a white horse, you’d always come to save me whenever I found myself lost in negative mind space. 

It was difficult without you, I will admit. People can be cruel, I’ll assume you know what I mean when I say that, it felt as though pieces of myself were being stolen away. And when they were returned, they were dented and misshapen, they didn’t fit like they once had. Unfortunately for you, the best I can now ever offer is half a heart. 

I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t at least the slightest bit curious as to what you looked like. But, in my defense, who wouldn’t be curious? I found myself daydreaming about what color your eyes were. I wondered whether they were brown and I’d be able to compare them to rich chocolate or were they blue and put the sky and ocean to shame? There was the possibility that they were green, and I’d be reminded of dew-covered grass every time I looked at you. As it turns out, my imagination couldn’t live up to the real thing even if I tried, and I did.

Gold is now my favorite color; I’ll let you know. The color of sunshine and honey, your eyes are my favorite color. Your smile also became my solace; I beg of you, never lose that smile. I wouldn’t be able to bear it if that smile disappeared from my life. I’d trade my entire being as assurance that you’d keep it. 

I found myself conjuring up various personalities and quirks you would have once we eventually met. I toyed with the idea of you being serious; one of those people who planned their days out meticulously without room for hindrances. I thought I needed stability, please don’t look too much into it; I never want you to change. After meeting you, I realized that stability was possibly the last thing I needed. What I’m now sure of is that I needed my youth back. I needed someone to balance out my stillness with their intensity. Someone whose exuberance leveled with my stoicism. ‘Opposite’ doesn’t feel right when describing the two of us, I prefer ‘complimentary.’ Wouldn’t you agree?

I needed someone who would scrunch their nose at my straight black coffee in the morning while pouring sugar and cream into theirs. Someone who would always fill my silence with their own laughter. Someone who would accept me with no questions asked. I received everything I lacked from you, Koutarou. I hope I am capable of living up to your idea of what a soulmate should be though I am slightly skeptical.

Even as I bring this letter to a close, the reason behind it evades me. But as I end this, I want to leave you with something that I want you never to question; I will always be by your side. I’ll be beside you as we walk into our future together. I’ll lead you when you’ve lost your way and I’ll follow you into whichever storms you chose. If there ever comes a day where I am not able to fulfill this promise, don’t be discouraged. We are never truly apart; in my reflection, you reside, and I in yours.

You are the greatest blessing fate could have ever dealt someone like myself.

Sincerely yours,  
Keiji.”

A week had passed. In that week, Koutarou had stared at the stack of pages Keiji had left behind. Eventually, his curiosity had gotten the better of him. He sat on his bed with the pages he’d read sprawled across the covers, the last page gripped tightly in his fingers. He had read each page in its entirety, rereading ever so often to cement the beautiful pictures Keiji was able to create with his words. He didn’t understand how anyone would be able to view him in the same way Keiji had described. It didn’t feel as though he was reading about himself, the person on those pages was thoughtful and careful. Koutarou viewed himself as anything but; he was childish and inattentive.

The guilt he had been feeling previously bared no comparison to the utter shame he felt at present. How was he able to still call Keiji his soulmate? He was unworthy of claiming that title. He had allowed his frustrations to overrun him and had consequently hurt the person he had vowed to protect and cherish. Koutarou wasn’t sure how he’d manage but he was certain that he’d have to right his wrongs. Disregarding the pages before him, Koutarou made a hasty exit on route to Keiji’s dorm.

He would apologize, he’d beg Keiji’s forgiveness if he had to, he couldn’t lose his soulmate. His footsteps slapped against the tiled floor of the hallway as he frantically weaved between students in an attempt to reach Keiji’s room faster. With each step he took, he realized his stupidity in letting whatever this was carry on for so long. He knew Keiji wasn’t at fault, but it was easier to blame him than some unknown person. 

As soon as Koutarou reached Keiji’s door, he wasted no time as he pounded against the wood. He didn’t let up until the door swung open violently revealing Kenma’s livid expression. Koutarou ignored his angry ranting as he forced his way inside the room, eyes scanning every inch in search of Keiji. Once his search had come up empty, he directed his attention towards Kenma who stood with his arms crossed over his chest.

“Where’s Keiji? I need to see him; I need to apologize.” Koutarou stared at Kenma pleadingly, he was desperate to see his soulmate. Kenma flashed him a bewildered look as if asking if he was serious. Neither man backed down and eventually, Kenma spoke up, his voice laced with his apparent confusion. His two words felt like an avalanche as they hit an unsuspecting Koutarou. “Keiji’s gone.” Kenma watched as the crazed look in Koutarou’s eyes dulled and his body slumped as if caving in on itself. A singular word fell through his trembling lips. “What?”


	23. Chapter 23

Two years later

The two soulmates had come a long way. They were able to overcome various obstacles for the sole reason of being unable to part with one another. 

The termination of Keiji’s exchange had hit Koutarou unexpectedly; everyone anticipated his demise at the realization of the fact but they couldn’t have been more incorrect. That’s not to say that he was completely calm about the situation, on the contrary, the usually carefree Koutarou had been momentarily replaced by the personification of stress. He was jittery and anxious for the entirety of Keiji’s departure; he knew he wouldn’t be able to shake that feeling until he was able to hold Keiji flush against his chest and close to his heart. The heart which Keiji now owned. As a result, he drove; he drove until all his mistakes up until that point felt like a bad memory. He knew once he got to his soulmate, he’d be at peace.

Keiji recalled the day he was reunited with his soulmate vividly. The time he had spent apart from Koutarou felt as though he had been dragged underwater and was incapable of breaking through to the surface again. The world around him which had been muffled and blurry had finally roared with sound and blinding colors once Koutarou had reappeared. Keiji had hastily wrenched the door to his apartment open at the sounding of vigorous knocking. He had anticipated the agitated face of his roommate who he assumed had forgotten his keys. Instead, he stood shell shocked as he drank in the familiar radiant eyes his life had been void of for an entire week.

It truly felt like one of those scenes in the countless romance novels Keiji had read. Where time stood still and everyone else in the world seemed to disappear into thin air. The only thing which mattered to both men was that they were finally able to see one another. Keiji remembered thinking he was dreaming as he hesitantly reached out to cup Koutarou's face. The latter had melted into his touch; eyes fluttering shut as he took in the warmth he had been missing. Both men were overflowing with emotions and questions.

Happiness, “How did you get here?”

Distress, “Why didn't you tell me you were leaving?”

Anger, “What took you so long?”

Longing, “Did you miss me?”

Their questions would go unvoiced and unanswered. Instead, they had chosen to wrap clumsy limbs over one another as if clinging together would cause them to fuse somehow and they’d never have to be apart again. Broken sobs were muffled by chests and in the crooks of necks. Clenched fingers in bundled fabric drawing the other closer. They were a beautiful mess; two people far from perfect individually but something extraordinary when they came together.

Keiji smiled fondly at the memory as he typed the last paragraph of his manuscript. His eyes ached as he stared at the iridescent screen before him; his editor had been hounding him for weeks, today would finally be the day his first official book would go into print. He wasn’t sure whether the undisturbed tapping of his keyboard or his disorderly thoughts had drowned out the sound of Koutarou entering the small apartment. He was, however, soon made aware of his soulmate's presence as the latter announced his arrival noisily.

“Keiji, I’ve got something to show you!” Keiji’s surprise at the sudden intrusion was evident in the way he jumped slightly from the sofa he was seated on. His heart beat uncontrollably against his ribs as he noticed Koutarou standing in the doorway. He clutched a hand over his chest willing the shock to subside as he took in Koutarou’s excited expression. With his free hand, Keiji motioned for Koutarou to come nearer as he tilted the screen of his laptop downward. “Your book?” Keiji hummed in response as he patted the cushion beside him for Koutarou to take a seat.

“What did you want to show me?” The excitement in Koutarou’s expression which had briefly been extinguished was set ablaze once more. He flashed a toothy grin as he rummaged through the interior pocket of the varsity jacket he wore. Keiji studied his movements as he sipped at his coffee patiently. At long last, Koutarou presented a folded piece of paper or rather, an envelope. Keiji’s calm exterior abandoned him as he noticed Koutarou’s enthusiasm dull into an uncharacteristic nervousness.

“Is that the letter?” Keiji set his coffee down as he shifted his undivided attention towards Koutarou who toyed with the edges of the white envelope whilst nodding faintly. Keiji leaned forward as he anticipated the news of his soulmate's future. “Well, what does it say?” The suspense was deadly, Keiji found himself sitting at the edge of his seat. Koutarou looked at his lap as he spoke in a low voice. “I haven’t opened it; I can’t open it.”

Koutarou’s confidence had suffered an unmistakable beating at the cancellation of his first application to the Volleyball League. He became less certain of himself and his abilities despite them bearing no reason behind the cancellation. The sight broke Keiji’s heart time and time again and despite never being one to hold a grudge, Keiji found his resentment towards Konoha hadn’t passed. Two years had gone by and the effects of his actions still seemed to haunt Koutarou, that was something Keiji felt he’d never be able to forgive.

For the most part, Konoha had seemed to stay clear of Koutarou following the altercation he had had with Keiji. At least, that’s what Koutarou had told him. Apparently, he had abandoned volleyball all together. Maybe it was because he realized the error of his ways and felt that giving up something he loved would be a good form of repentance. Or maybe, and far more realistically, it was because the rest of the team had discovered what he had done and he was embarrassed. The latter seemed fitting of his selfish personality. Either way, he avoided crossing paths with Koutarou completely which gave Keiji some form of relief. Drawing himself out of his thoughts, Keiji smothered a frown that threatened to pull at his lips as he recalled Konoha. 

Instead, he focused his attention back on Koutarou who stared at him expectantly. Koutarou gradually pushed the folded envelope into Keiji’s hands who stared at it and then at him incredulously. “Are you sure?” Koutarou contemplated his soulmate’s whispered words for a second, he knew he wouldn't be able to read it and if it happened to be bad news, there was no-one other than Keiji he’d want to hear it from. He bobbed his head slowly as Keiji inhaled sharply whilst breaking the seal. 

It was presently Koutarou’s turn to await his fate with bated breath. He watched as Keiji ran his eyes over the words of the letter, he was silent as he did so before a small gasp slipped through his parted lips. “We are pleased to confirm your acceptance into the V.League Division 1 rank, further correspondence should be expected on the matter. In the interim, we wish you a warm welcome.” Keiji’s words sped up as if to match the tremble which had ensured as he held the letter tightly in his slender fingers. His eyes skimmed the lines he had just read numerous times, he had to be sure he had read them correctly.

Once the words seemed to have engraved themselves in his mind, Keiji lifted his head to meet Koutarou’s gaze. “You did it; you were accepted.” It was the most excited Koutarou had ever seen Keiji, his cheeks flushed scarlet as a laugh bubble through his widespread grin. Koutarou wasn’t sure if the news or Keiji’s reaction caused him to mirror the expression. Keiji flung himself into Koutarou’s awaiting arms, the letter drifting to the floor where it lay abandoned.

The two soulmates remained wrapped in one another's embrace before Koutarou pulled back slightly. “I’ve got one last thing to show you.” Keiji regarded the man before him with confusion as he repeated his actions; reaching into his jacket before hesitantly presenting its contents. Keiji’s breath hitched in his throat as he drank in the small velvet box which sat snuggly in Koutarou's outstretched palm. He shifted his eyes between the box and his soulmate, unsure of which he was supposed to focus on.

The box had sat in Koutarou’s pocket for a while now, three months to be exact, he never forwent officially asking Keiji though. But it had practically begun burning a hole where it sat, encouraging Koutarou to finally present it to his soulmate. Despite its compact size, the box felt like lead. “I promised myself I’d ask you if I got accepted.” Koutarou’s airy voice filled the space between the two men. He took a deep breath as he drew the lid back revealing the white cushioned interior.

Tears welled up in Keiji’s eyes as he took in the small silver key which glinted as the sunlight hit it. “I guess, by now; it’s obvious I constantly want to be around you.” Both Koutarou and Keiji let out a small chuckle as the taller man looked down in embarrassment. “I know I always want to be with you and you want to be with me, or at least I hope you do.” Koutarou looked up at Keiji nervously who nodded while swiping at stray fallen tears. A relieved sigh sounded before Koutarou continued. “I want you to be the first thing I see each and every morning. And I want you to be the last thing I see after a tiring day, I want you by my side always.”

Keiji’s resolve had long since crumbled as muffled sobs escaped the hand cupped over his mouth. “When the day comes, I’ll give you another one of these boxes. The meaning behind it will obviously be different but until then, Keiji, will you accept this one and move in with me?” Keiji swallowed thickly as he nodded his head.

“Of course, Koutarou.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can't believe I've actually finished this; it initially started off as just an idea and was supposed to be only a few chapters. It was also my very first fan-fic, I have no idea how it turned into a whole story but I'm so glad it did. 
> 
> Thank you to everyone who read this trainwreck, I hope you enjoyed it. To everyone who left kudos, I appreciate you all. And finally, to everyone in the comments, you guys were literally my motivation to write and I probably wouldn't have finished this without the support and kindness you all showed. 
> 
> With that said, I hope you enjoyed the last chapter!


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